The British Women Pilots’ Association (BWPA) announced their aviation scholarship winners this week and the Scottish Gliding Centres Alison Field, was among the winners! The scholarships were provided by the BWPA and other partners, with Alison’s being funded by Sky Demon.

Scholarships Supporting UK Women Pilots

The BWPA offers scholarships every year to support women in the UK in achieving their flying dreams, underlying its key aim to promote their training and employment within the sector. For this reason, a proportion of the Association’s membership fees is used to fund scholarships. The BWPA also actively works with partner organisations to extend what it is able to offer, and so help to raise awareness and aspirations.

“Only 5-6% of professional pilots in the UK and worldwide are women and the percentages in general aviation are similar. Much of this is due to lack of information and opportunity,” explains BWPA n Sharon Nicholson.

“For the second year in a row, the BWPA has seen a large increase in the number of applications for scholarships. The winners are all extremely impressive individuals who are already giving a great deal to aviation, including encouraging other women to consider flying as a hobby or career. We hope these scholarships will support them in achieving their ambitions and continuing to inspire others” she adds.

From a strong Field

Alison is no stranger to inspring others. As a seasonal staff member at The Scottish Gliding Centre she is actively encouraging women to give gliding a go and has already hosted a Women In Flight event at the centre.

“Alison is a talented and enthusiastic member of our team who is driven to push herself in her flying journey. I am not at all surprised that the BWPA has chosen to honour her in this way and we are very proud of her achievements so far”, says Scottish Gliding Centre Manager Martin Phillimore.

Over 200 women from across the UK applied for the scholarships and were shortlisted by a panel of judges who determined which of the candidates showed the most promise for their future flying.

These awards will help scholarship winners in various ways, including gaining their first qualifications, starting their training to become commercial pilots, or assisting them in taking part in competition flights.