The British Women Pilots’ Association (BWPA) is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and is marking the occasion with a minimum of 35 scholarships and 30 aviation kit/voucher awards.
The BWPA offers scholarships to support women in the UK of all ages and backgrounds in achieving their flying dreams, reinforcing one of its key aims, of promoting women’s training and employment within aviation.
As 2025 is a special year for the BWPA, the association is offering a record-breaking minimum of ‘at least’ 35 scholarships and 30 aviation kit/voucher awards, which are available for all levels of experience and all types of flying. The BWPA says that the awards will help scholarship winners in various ways, including gaining their first qualifications, building upon existing qualifications, or working towards a first paid flying job.
Applicants will be asked to submit information on their current aviation experience, what they enjoy most about flying, why they believe they deserve the award and how they would use the award if successful. They will be shortlisted by a panel of judges who will determine which of the candidates show the most promise for their future flying.
Lily Sanders-Page, winner of the BWPA Gerry Cook Flying Start Scholarship in 2023, said: “I am very grateful to have been awarded a BWPA scholarship. The generous support enabled me to glide regularly and attend a residential gliding course. The kindness and guidance from other BWPA members have been invaluable.”
The BWPA actively works with partner organisations to extend what scholarships they are able to offer, and so help to raise awareness and increase opportunities available.
Commenting on the work of the BWPA, the UK CAA said: “Empowering the next generation of women in aviation is not just about breaking barriers, it’s about opening the skies to new talent, ambition and possibilities. The CAA STEM Programme is proud to support the British Women Pilots’ Association in their mission to help aspiring female pilots achieve their first qualification and take flight towards a future without limits.”
“As we celebrate 70 years of supporting women in aviation, we are proud to offer more scholarships than ever before,” said Annabel Cook, BWPA Deputy Chair. “These awards are a vital part of our mission to encourage and enable more women to take to the skies, whether as a hobby or a career. We hope our scholarships during this milestone year will encourage even more women to be part of the future of aviation.”
The BWPA’s roots go back to the post WWII years, at a time when there were few civilian aviation jobs going and women pilots, who despite providing invaluable work as Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) pilots during the war, were largely overlooked when it came to recruiting civilian pilots.
According to the BWPA, many former ATA pilots sought aviation opportunities with the RAF Reserve squadrons or the Women’s Junior Air Corps (WJAC) post war and in 1955, with the support of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), it was decided to create a separate association specifically focussed on aviation careers for women.
The inaugural meeting of the BWPA was held on 11 March 1955 in London, with the stated ambition to be an ‘active organisation and have the enthusiastic support of all women pilots’. A total of 30 women attended, including eight from WES. Several attendees were also former ATA pilots. According to the minutes of the inaugural meeting, the BWPA would base itself on six aims and objectives:
- To promote the training and employment of women in aviation.
- To promote practical schemes to assist women to gain air licences.
- To advise women on the training required and the openings available for women in aviation.
- To enable women in aviation to meet and exchange knowledge of mutual interest.
- To express the collective opinion of its members.
- To promote the interest in, and further the cause of, aviation.
Freydis Sharland (née Leaf), who was one of the first women to qualify as an RAF pilot and was the 1954 British Air Racing Champion, was a natural choice as the first BWPA chairwoman. Two years previously, Sharland had undertaken an epic 4,000-mile journey to a Pakistan Air Force base in Karachi to deliver a Hawker Tempest V, one of the largest and fastest of the last generation of piston-engine RAF fighters. Having dead-reckoned her way there and delivered the 460mph Tempest in pristine condition, she was denied entry to the officers’ mess. She was only a woman, after all, a woman who had flown in addition to the Tempest, Gipsy Moths, Tiger Moths, Magisters, Ansons, Hurricanes, Spitfires, Wellingtons, Hudsons, and Mosquitos. She said the Spitfire was her favourite, telling an interviewer in 2008 that: “Fortunately, I never had to shoot down a German. There wasn’t one available at the time.” By the end of WWII, Sharland had amassed 607 hours and 25 minutes of airborne time, before going on to become a commercial pilot, air racing champion, Women’s RAF Reserve Flying Officer, and leading figure in the Women’s Junior Air Corps and Girls Venture Corps, alongside her role as chairwoman of the BWPA.
The 35 scholarships
Starter scholarships
- Seven BWPA Flying Start Scholarships, including one sponsored by the Civil Aviation Authority and one by the family of Gerry Cook, to help new pilots gain their first qualifications.
- One BWPA SkyDemon Flying Start Scholarship, as above, to include a one-year subscription to SkyDemon.
- One BWPA BGA Members Flying Start Scholarship, for new pilots to gain their first gliding qualifications.
- Two BWPA Flight School Wingman Scholarships, for access to the online Wingman Academy.
- One BWPA Bristol Groundschool Scholarship, for a PPL ground school course.
- Two BWPA Easy PPL Scholarships, for Platinum PPL(A) starter kit study packages.
Advanced scholarships
- Five BWPA Flying High Scholarships, including one sponsored by the family of Oriana Pepper, for licensed pilots who wish to gain further qualifications.
- Two BWPA SkyDemon Flying High Scholarships, as above, to include a one-year subscription to SkyDemon.
- One BWPA Flight School Wingman Scholarship, for access to the online Wingman Academy.
- One BWPA Flight Deck Wingman Scholarship, for the Airline Assessment Preparation Course.
- One BWPA CATS Aviation Scholarship, for the ATPL(A) modular distance learning ground school course.
- Two BWPA Bristol Groundschool ATPL Scholarships, for 50% off either online or in person ATPL ground school courses.
- One BWPA Bristol Groundschool Video Scholarship, for a 12-month subscription to BGS Video Library.
- One BWPA Bristol Groundschool BGSonline Scholarship, for a 12-month subscription to BGSonline.
- Six BWPA Aviation Insider Scholarships, for the Airline Interview and Assessment Preparation course.
Other
- One BWPA 624squadron.com Scholarship, for an aviation enthusiast, for a special mission and flying adventure.
In addition, the BWPA says that the 15 highest scoring scholarship winners will be awarded a choice of a Pooleys starter kit or £100 voucher and the 15 highest scoring non-winners will be awarded a £20 Pooleys voucher.
In order to be eligible to apply for a scholarship, applicants must be a member of BWPA and apply no later than 31 May 2025.
