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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is sponsoring two Australian Women Pilots’ Association (AWPA) scholarships for aspiring female pilots.
The first is a Naviagion Component Scholarship worth $7,000 to cover the cost of completing the navigation component of a private or commercial powered fixed-wing pilot licence.
The second scholarship helps with gaining a formation or aerobatic endorsement and is worth $2,500.
Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies said the AWPA scholarships were a great initiative for helping more females become pilots.
Further, Davies said Air Force was committed to gender diversity and proud to sponsor the scholarships.
“I understand how expensive and challenging it can be to pursue a career as a pilot, and the Navigation Component Scholarship is designed to help support the fantastic young women who are committed to this great profession,” Davies said in a statement.
“The opportunity to further develop flying skills with a formation or aerobatic endorsement is also significant, which the Formation/Aerobatic Endorsement Scholarship aims to support.
“I enthusiastically invite any young female pilots in training to apply.”
Applicants must be a financial member of AWPA and aged between 15 and 27 to be eligible. The deadline for applications is January 31 2016.
More information can be found on the AWPA website.
GAGA
says:Scholarships should go to the person who is most worthy regardless of whether male or female.
If more females wanted to apply, more females would apply, this is a free country.
This gender specific funding is inappropriate, particularly coming from a Government department.
adammudhen
says:@Gaga, might I suggest looking at the number of pilots in the RAAF, then the number of female pilots in the RAAF, that difference is the reason for these initiatives. It may be a free country (what ever that means) but I think you’ll find that in decades-old institutions, it takes time to change; this is a step along that change.
Plus, if you want to be petty….it’s not like this is stopping males applying, merely providing support for 2 (!) females who will now have a smoother ‘approach’ to flying. If $9,500 is such a hindrance to more men flying, perhaps you could sponsor a male-only scheme?
To be honest, I’m a little disappointed that they’re not a full scholarships, but I can only imagine the response if that was announced…..