There are many scholarships and bursaries out there which can give recipients the opportunity to build their flying experience and kick start a pilot career. Here’s a comprehensive list which is edited regularly – use the links below to jump to what you’re looking for:
- Flying scholarships and bursaries up to PPL
- Commercial training scholarships
- Helicopter Scholarships
- Gliding Scholarships
- Other aviation scholarships
- Flying scholarships for pilots with a disability
Flying scholarships and bursaries up to PPL
Cherry Charters was the 2016 winner of the Bristol Groundschool ATPL course scholarship, offered through the Air League
The Air League – Flying scholarships and bursaries
What: 12 hours of Powered Flight training towards the award of an NPPL (scholarship) or 3-5 hours of advanced flying training to PPL holders (bursaries)
The Honourable Company of Air Pilots
What: Up to seven PPL (fixed-wing) scholarships are offered by HCAP: the Air BP Sterling Scholarship; the Grayburn Scholarship; the Cadogan Scholarship; the Foyle Scholarship; the TAG Flying Scholarship; the Air Pilots Benevolent Fund scholarship and the Master’s Scholarship
Link:www.airpilots.org/career-matters/scholarships/
The Royal Aero Club Trust
What: Bursaries include The President’s Award (two bursaries each worth up to £750), a further bursary worth up to £1,000 (The Peter Cruddas Foundation Scholarship), the Breitling Bursary also worth up to £750, the MacRobert Trust Bursaries (two bursaries each worth up to £500, and the Bramson Bursary also worth up to £500 as well as a number of additional bursaries worth up to £500 each to suitable candidates.
Link:www.royalaeroclubtrust.org/bursaries
The Light Aircraft Association – Armstrong/Isaacs Foundation
What: This provides a flying scholarship towards the National private Pilot’s Licence on a regular basis to a young member of the LAA. If you are aged 22 or under and want to apply, follow the link below.
Link: www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/Education/education.html
BWPA Flying Start and Flying High scholarships
What: Flying Start is £1,000 for new and very inexperienced pilots to gain their first qualifications, while Flying High is £1,000 for more experienced pilots with at least a first qualification who wish, for example, to gain further qualifications or take part in significant competitions, or to undertake other suitable activities to help them further their personal flying aims
Link: bwpa.co.uk/
Nick Davidson Memorial Scholarship
What: Funded by the family of Captain Nick Davidson, to enable a young person between the ages of 18 and 25 to learn to fly and qualify to the standard of a full Private Pilots Licence (PPL) at Biggin Hill Airport. In memory of late Captain Nick Davidson of British Airways who died from cancer in 2012.
Link: www.bigginhillairport.com/
RAF Association
What: Winning candidates are rewarded with a course of 35 hours flight training in a light aircraft, and the course covers all or part of the tuition needed to obtain a National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL). Five runners-up receive 12 hours training each. For the Air Cadet Organisation (ACO) and the Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets (GVCAC), Air Scouts and Air Explorer Scouts.
Link: www.rafa.org.uk/what-we-do/air-cadets/flying-scholarships/
Commercial training scholarships
The Guild of Air Pilots offers two Jet Orientation Course scholarships, specifically designed to prepare the newly qualified ATPL holder for employment with an airline
The Honourable Company of Air Pilots
What: Up to three Flight Instructor (Restricted) [FI(R)] scholarships are offered by HCAP: the Swire Scholarship; the Air Safety Trust scholarship; and the Norman Motley Scholarship + two Jet Orientation Course scholarships, sponsored by EPST, The CATS ATPL Ground School Scholarship
Link:www.airpilots.org/career-matters/scholarships/
BWPA CATS CPL/ATPL Scholarship
What: For applicants with at least a PPL (A) or (H), and comprises the ground school element of a CPL or ATPL (A or H), donated by CATS Aviation Training, Luton, and worth almost £1,500.
Link: bwpa.co.uk
James Beagley Memorial Scholarship
What: Financial support for young pilots pursuing a Commercial Pilots Licence. The James Beagley Memorial Scholarship Fund was set up in the memory of James Beagley, who was 34 when he was killed in a mid-air collision on August 17th 2008 near Coventry Airport.
Link: jbscholarship.org/
Leading Edge Aviation Bursaries
What: Three bursaries towards the cost of the Leading Edge Airline Pilot programme. The LEAP programme is an EASA integrated pilot training course that takes you from zero aviation experience to airline-ready in one comprehensive programme.
Link: https://leadingedgeaviation.com/2019/07/15/bursary-programme/
L3 Oilot Pathways Female Scholarship Integrated ATPL
What: L3 is offering 10 female scholarships of £25,000 each towards the costs of training off its Integrated ATPL course. .
CAE Women in Flight Scholarships
What: The CAE Women in Flight scholarship encourages women to become professional pilots. Every year, CAE will award up to five full paid scholarships to aspiring female pilots, across its global training network. The scholarship recipients will become role models, tasked with the mission to inspire more women to join them in the flight deck!
Helicopter scholarships
Helicentre Aviation scholarships
What: Substantial financial assistance with professional helicopter training as well as employment opportunities
Link: www.helicopterscholarships.com
Phoenix Helicopters has donated a five hour, Introductory Helicopter Flying Scholarship to The Air League.
The Air League – Phoenix Helicopter Scholarship
What: 5 hour, introductory Helicopter Flying Scholarship
Link: www.airleague.co.uk/scholarships/heli-scholarship/
Gliding scholarships
The Air League offers a variety of gliding opportunities for young people
Fleet Air Arm
What: An intensive gliding course of up to eight days at one of three locations – Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset; Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall; and Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire.
Link: www.fleetairarmoa.org/faaoa-gliding-aviation-scholarships
The Air League – Gliding to Solo scheme
What: 1 or 2 week course at an affiliated gliding club
Link:www.airleague.co.uk/scholarships/gliding-to-solo/
The Honourable Company of Air Pilots
What: 5 gliding scholarships provided by Virgin Atlantic, the Eric Winkle Brown Scholarships generously provided by Marshalls of Cambridge and theYoung Air Pilots, other gliding scholarship benefactors include Liveryman Paul Nicholas, the Air Pilots Benevolent Fund, and the Air Pilots Flying Club
Link:www.airpilots.org/career-matters/scholarships/
Other Aviation scholarships
The Cotswold Aviation Scholarship winners had the chance to learn more about an aviation career
Fly2Help – Aim High
What: Scholarship weeks based at Biggin Hill, Gloucestershire and Oxford airports for groups of ten young people aged 14-18
Link:fly2help.org/
The Geoffrey de Havilland Educational Trust
What: This trust offers the Fiona McKay Flying Bursary, which funds 10 hours conversion and consolidation on a Tiger Moth
Link: www.dehavillandeducationaltrust.co.uk/bursaries/
Flying scholarships for pilots with a disability
Aerobility is a charity which offers disabled people, without exception, the opportunity to fly an aeroplane.
Aerobility
What: Aerobility is a registered charity founded in 1993 offering disabled people, without exception, the opportunity to fly an aeroplane.
Link: www.aerobility.com/about-us/about.php
The Air League – Scholarships for disabled veterans
What: The Air League and Boeing, in collaboration with Help for Heroes and Aerobility, offer numerous flying scholarships for disabled veterans/service personnel. They are open to men and women residents in the UK. Publicity and selection is coordinated by Help for Heroes.
Link: www.airleague.co.uk/scholarships/scholarships-for-disabled-veterans/
Flying scholarships for disabled people
What: Three or four-weeks duration and will include 20 or 25 hours flying tuition with associated ground school in either a PA-28 or a Microlight
Link: www.fsfdp.org.uk/
