RAAF encouraging young women to fly

Larissa Stephens, the 2013 recipient of the RAAF/AWPA Formation Scholarship

The RAAF is continuing its support of encouraging the development of young female pilots, with the chief of air force Air Marshal Geoff Brown announcing the opening of two sponsored scholarships.

“The scholarships are intended to encourage young women to pursue flying careers by helping with the training costs associated with flying,” Brown said.

The scholarships, available through the Australian Women Pilots’ Association (AWPA), are open to female pilots up to 24 years of age.

This is the third year the RAAF has sponsored the Formation or Aerobatic Endorsement Scholarship and the AWPA Navigation Component Scholarship.

The AWPA said four students are already seeing the benefits of the program. “As a result of the RAAF’s support, we have three female pilots who were thrilled to achieve an aerobatics rating and a fourth who will soon be undertaking her private pilot’s licence navigation exercises,” an AWPA spokesperson said.