Although yet to be formally announced, applications for the 2025 PPL, gliding and FI scholarships from the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (HCAP) are due to open over the next month or two and FTN would like to put prospective candidates on notice to get prepared ahead of their launch.
Each year, HCAP provides a number of scholarships for aspiring (and qualified) pilots. In addition to scholarships funded directly by HCAP, during 2024 there were nine full PPL scholarships, two flight instructor scholarships, as well as several residential gliding scholarships, generously donated by a number of private and corporate sponsors. A similar number of scholarships are expected to be offered for 2025.
Open to all-comers over the age of 17, the PPL scholarships provide funding for a training programme including up to 45 hours of flight training. Open to candidates with little or no prior flying experience, individuals who are also part way through their PPL training but are struggling to complete due to funding issues are also eligible to apply.
PPL scholarship application generally opens in November and close early the following January, with scholarship winners expected to dedicate a fair proportion of their summer to their training and to be complete by the end of September.
The 2024 PPL scholarship winners were:
- James Wilson – Air Pilots Benevolent Fund Scholarship
- Darrell Kovac – The Donaldson Scholarship
- Christopher Edmunds – The Dunmore Scholarship
- Eleanor Spencer – The Grayburn Scholarship
- Ciaran Haverty – The Bob Dawson Scholarship (BALPA Benevolent Fund)
- Piers Austin-Foss – The Lane-Burslem Scholarship (BALPA Benevolent Fund)
- Sophie Gairdner – The Wigley Scholarship (BALPA Benevolent Fund)
- Jordan Smith – The Sir Sefton Brancker Scholarship (Air Pilots Trust)
- Shivam Patel – Sky Demon Scholarship
HCAP gliding scholarships are residential, take place during the school summer holidays, and are offered to people over the age of 16. Successful candidates have the opportunity to fly on a one-week course at a youth approved British Gliding Association centre, with the opportunity to get to first solo.
The 2024 Gliding scholarship winners were:
- 2Excel – Hashim Iqbal & Esha Dongare
- AFG – Niha Gudena & Verity Greenald
- Air Pilots Flying Club – Ben Petrie, Cassiopeia Bentley, Elodie Lock, Isabelle Maguire, Joseph Norton, Hannah Hockin & Holly Thomas
- Air Pilots Benevolent Fund – Benjamin Latchford
- Air Pilots Pilot Aptitude Team – Joby Girling
- Air Pilots Trust – Annmaria Tome, Charlotte Williams & Leila Ohri
- Air Safety Trust – Fin Hewitt, Vladislav Artamonov & Zac Channing
- Air Pilots Visits Team – Annabelle Dowse, Bess Jarvis, Lillian Wilson & Morwenna Burgess
- Dunmore Scholarship – Archie Mussell & Thomas Weekes
- Past Master Dorothy Saul Pooley – David Hockings Scholarship – Katie McKie
- Past Master Dorothy Saul Pooley – Ken Lyndon-Dykes – Matylda Karolewska
- Past Master Robin Keegan – Marcos Mayhew
- Red Arrows Trust – Aaron George, Arun Singh, Leo Oxford, Nicole Farcas, Ruby McPherson & Winnie Shard
- RAFCT – Eleanor Spencer, Elizabeth Rubio, Isabelle Wong, James Nicholas, Joy Lim, Mahika Shepley, Maria Johnston, Noah Barker, Sophia Sipma & Toluwalola Opaleye
- Sky Demon – Oliver Welch & Tom Chidgey
- Virgin Atlantic – Chimzitara Agwuncha & Rayan Akhtar
Flight instructor (FI) scholarships are also available through HCAP. Successful candidates are given a conditional scholarship offer subject to proof of passing a specific pre-entry flight test with an FI qualified for this purpose, based upon the proficiency check set out in Part FCL Appendix 9, which needs to be completed at the candidate’s own expense. Those passing the proficiency check are then placed on an FI training course during the summer.
The 2024 Flight Instructor scholarship winners were:
- Paul Sodagar – the Norman Motley Scholarship
- Lewis Bricknell – Swire Scholarship
Recounting his experiences after having completed his FI course scholarship, Lewis Bricknell said: “Inspired by brilliant instructors I have had over my time in aviation, I was motivated to explore the path of becoming a Flight Instructor. I became aware of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots and decided to apply.
“After an unsuccessful first attempt, I tried again the following year and was pleased to hear I was put through to the next stage. The task was to create a 2-minute video on ‘Integrating theoretical knowledge into the PPL syllabus’. I talked about how the practical flying connects all the pieces of knowledge we learn from the theory, using my niece’s puzzle set as a means of illustration.
“Success! I was through to the final stage. This involved a trip to London for a panel interview covering my personal experience and reasoning for applying, followed by a presentation and technical questions. The focus of my presentation was on electronic conspicuity and gliding competitions; an ongoing topic in the GA world and something I was deeply passionate about. After a tense few days of waiting, I was thrilled to hear that I had been awarded the Swire Instructor Certificate Scholarship.
“This has, without doubt, been the most intense but enjoyable course I have flown to date. I have significantly improved my handling skills and deepened my knowledge of all aspect of aviation. I am now eager to apply what I have learnt into practice, teaching LAPL students initially, and later PPL once I finish my exams later this year. The learning does not stop here though; teaching styles is something I will develop with experience.
“I would like to thank the Swire Foundation as my sponsor and the amazing team at the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. Without this opportunity, I would not have been able to fund this course at my stage in life. I cannot wait to put the skills I have learnt into practice to share my passion with others and teach the next generation of pilots! If you are reading this considering whether to apply, do it. I could not recommend it highly enough.”
