Press Releases

View the Whirly-Girls press release archive here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2024

Whirly-Girls Open 2025 Scholarship Season

The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. is proud to announce the opening of the 2024 scholarship season. Deserving female aviators can apply for over $550,000 of helicopter flight training and educational scholarships. These scholarships advance the helicopter industry by strengthening the talent pool and increasing diversity. Applications are due October 4th, 2024.

This year, we are pleased to have numerous returning scholarship sponsors including Airbus, Helisim LLC, Anastasia Mosquito Control District, Bristow, Bell Helicopters, CAE, FlightSafety International, Garmin, Leading Edge Flight Academy, Central Oregon Community College, Leonardo Helicopters, MD Helicopters, Oregon Aero, PHI Aviation, Robinson Helicopter Company, Survival Systems USA and many private individuals and donors. New sponsors this year include 3-G HeliPrep Coptersafety, and Timberline in a new partnership with Volo Mission. Scholarships are available for both experienced and newly certificated pilots, as well as those individuals who are seeking their initial helicopter ratings. Courses are offered for a variety of training objectives, including turbine transitions, software use, commercial flight training, airline transport licenses, and many more. In addition to these, we now also have an extensive range of maintenance scholarships to offer so be sure to check them all out!

Although a lot has changed since the original thirteen members of the Whirly-Girls founded this organization and the number of female pilots has been increasing over the past few decades, there are still relatively few women with Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPL) worldwide, and females still comprise fewer than 6% of pilots. The Whirly-Girls organization provides a place where female pilots can find support and camaraderie and help one another succeed. With the support of our sponsors who provide these career-building scholarships we strive to advance women and aid the growth of aviation. For any woman out there, who wants to start or advance their dream in aviation, there is no reason not to apply!

Scholarship applications are available at www.whirlygirls.org/apply-for-scholarships/ and are due October 4, 2024. Scholarships will be formally presented on March 9, 2025 at the Annual Whirly-Girls Gala at VERTICON in Dallas, TX. For more information on attending the Gala, please visit www.whirlygirls.org.

Whirly-Girls International is a non-profit, educational, and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in the helicopter aviation industry. The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. ("WGSF") was incorporated in 1974 to oversee and administer the scholarship funds raised by the Whirly-Girls and their auxiliaries, and is a federal tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity. Initiated in 1968, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to a wide range of training and development scholarships.

For more information on Whirly-Girls International and Whirly-Girls scholarships, please visit www.whirlygirls.org or contact VP of Scholarships, Kitty Seerden, at scholarships@whirlygirls.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coptersafety Pilot Training Scholarship with Whirly-Girls International

You can view this press release on Coptersafety's website.

Coptersafety is happy to announce they are joining the Whirly-Girls International as a sponsor with two FAA AW139 Type Rating scholarships.

“At Coptersafety, we recognize the importance to increase diversity in the vertical aviation industry. As part of our commitment to fostering inclusivity, we are proud to announce the Whirly-Girls scholarship,” as shared by Coptersafety’s Chief Theoretical Knowledge Instructor, Matt Presnal. “By investing in women in aviation, we not only promote gender equality but also cultivate a stronger, more inclusive workforce for the future of vertical aviation. Through different initiatives, we aim to inspire a new generation of skilled and empowered pilots, regardless of their gender.”

Coptersafety is the world’s largest independent helicopter pilot training provider for commercial, government, and private organizations, offering a full range of helicopter training courses in H125, H145, AW169, and AW139 Level-D Full Flight Simulators. The Finland-based company is an EASA certified Aviation Training Organization, FAA Part-142 certified training center, and UK Part-ORA certified training organization, among others.

With a mission to improve safety in the rotary-wing industry, Coptersafety provides pilot training with Level D Full Flight Simulators. Coptersafety’s flight instructors actively fly and instruct in helicopter operations such as in HEMS, offshore, and SAR. This provides students with the knowledge of real-world operational flying experience in the helicopter they are training in, making Coptersafety a desirable training center for commercial pilots from around the world.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coptersafety to the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Program” says Fallon Blattner, VP of Scholarships for Whirly-Girls International. “The addition of this esteemed training facility and company provides unprecedented opportunity to our members and significantly aids the career advancement of women within the rotary wing industry worldwide.”

The scholarships provide an opportunity for two Whirly Girls to complete an FAA AW139 Type Rating and/or ATP Training Course, including technical ground training, full flight simulator training, and practical tests. The scholarship will be offered to current members of Whirly-Girls International in their mid-year scholarship round in 2024 and be awarded in the summer.

About Coptersafety

Coptersafety is an independent helicopter pilot training provider for commercial, government and private organizations. The company provides simulator training for H125, H145, AW139, and AW169 helicopter type pilots around the world at its training facility four minutes from Helsinki International Airport. Coptersafety is a FAA, EASA, GACA, CAAT, and UK Training Center / Approved Training Organization (ATO), among others. Coptersafety has taken the initiative to genuinely improve pilot training to ensure the safety performance of the operators. Coptersafety’s Training Center is easily accessible from North America, Asia, and the Middle East with its convenient location only four minutes from Helsinki International Airport in Finland.

About Whirly-Girls International

Whirly-Girls International is a non-profit, educational and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in helicopter aviation. It was founded in 1955 and currently has more than 2,100 members across 47 countries. Its goals include the promotion of women in the helicopter industry through scholarship awards, mentoring, public appearances, press releases, magazine articles and informational displays in aviation museums; the exchange of information among women in helicopter aviation; and the promotion of community acceptance of rotorcraft through increasing public awareness of rotorcraft utility and versatility.

You can find out more about this scholarship on the Whirly-Girls website.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 27, 2024

Whirly-Girls International Scholarship Fund Exceeds $600,000 in 2024 Scholarship Awards and Mid-Year Scholarship Offering

Whirly-Girls International, a non-profit, educational, and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in the helicopter aviation industry, has announced the recipients of the 2024 Whirly-Girls Scholarship Awards. The scholarships were awarded at the Whirly-Girls Annual Reception during HAI HELI-EXPO in Anaheim, California. Thanks to the support of aviation leaders, 39 scholarships were bestowed upon deserving female aviators, the largest scholarship program in the helicopter industry.

Recipients of the 2024 Whirly-Girls scholarships are:

Bridget Colby - Airbus Inadvertent IMC Training Scholarship
Shalena Abbas - Anastasia Mosquito Control District Ag Spray Scholarship
Anna Harpila - Bell Training Academy Maintenance Scholarship
Lucy Passaniti - Stewart “Stu” Dietrick Memorial Scholarship
Teagan Trant - Bristow Group Initial Helicopter Flight Training Scholarship
Maggie Beseda - CAE SK-76 Initial Training for Helicopter ATP Scholarship
Katrin Doederer - Erickson & Volo Mission Vertical Reference/External Load Scholarship
Amory Harris - FlightSafety International Bell 206/Bell 407 Scholarship
Kellye Evans, Maria Paradise, & Kelsey Hoogendoorn - Garmin GTN & Flight Display Pilot Training Course Scholarship
Olivia Bassett & Yesenia Bello - Garmin Aviation Online Training Course Scholarship
Sarah Jackson - Leading Edge Flight Academy & Central Oregon Community College Helicopter Instrument Rating Scholarship
Charlotte Brown & Larissa O’Donoghue - Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Flight Training Course Scholarship
Alicia Martinez & Kaela Robertson - Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Full Airframe Maintenance Course Scholarship
Brandi Truesdel - Lora Trout Remembrance Initial or Commercial Training Scholarship
Ryan Hester - MD Helicopters MD500 Flight Training Scholarship
Yesenia Bello, Mariah Dugan, Larissa Hamilton, Andrea McGilvray, & Rebecca Torres - Oregon Aero CRM/AMRM Instructor Training Scholarship
Hannah Santamaria - Palm Beach Helicopters CFI/CFII Rating Scholarship
Amy Hartt & Kerry Hahne - PHI Aviation Bell 407 Scholarship
Cecily Olsen & Kim Loraine-Grews - Robinson Helicopters R22/R44 Safety Course Scholarship
Linnea Nelson & Leah French - Southern Utah University (SUU) Career Flight Training Scholarship
Ruby Esquivel- Southern Utah University (SUU) Maintenance Scholarship
Dallas Smith & Alexa Dunn - Survival Systems USA Aviation Survival & Egress Scholarship
Olivia Anderson - Edward M Thurn Memorial Scholarship
Lexi Hargis - Whirly-Girls Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
Oceana Gamel Howes - Whirly-Girls Jean Tinsley Memorial Heli-Expo Scholarship
Harley Lenart - Whirly-Girls Initial/Add-on Flight Training Scholarship

“The 2024 Scholarship offering has been a record-breaking year and incredibly inspiring. We are overwhelmed with the generosity and support from our Sponsors and the quality of deserving applicants and recipients. In addition to providing new opportunities to our pilots throughout their initial flight ratings, the incorporation of new Sponsors has provided more advanced training courses for working, commercial pilots and scholarships to aid maintainers as well. We feel honored to offer these opportunities to our membership, support women in the helicopter industry, and collaborate with so many wonderful Sponsors and individuals” said Fallon Blattner, Whirly-Girls International VP of Scholarships.

The 2024 Scholarship program has officially exceed $600,000 in annual scholarship awards with the addition of two (2) AW139 type rating/ATP scholarships provided by Coptersafety as a mid-year offering. Coptersafety, located in Finland, offers a full range of flight and mission training courses and is an EASA, FAA and UK Part-ORA certified training facility. These scholarships will be offered to Whirly-Girl members and subsequently awarded in the Summer of 2024.

The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. ("WGSF") was incorporated to oversee and administer the scholarship funds raised by the Whirly-Girls and their Associates. Initiated in 1968, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to a wide range of training and development scholarships valued today in excess of $600,000. For more information on Whirly-Girls International, please visit www.whirlygirls.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 3, 2024

Whirly-Girls International Reveal 2024 Scholarship Recipients

Whirly-Girls International, a non-profit, educational, and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in the helicopter aviation industry, has announced the recipients of the 2024 Whirly-Girls Scholarship Awards. The scholarships will be awarded February 25, 2024, at the Whirly-Girls Annual Reception during HAI HELI-EXPO in Anaheim, California. Thanks to the support of aviation leaders, 39 scholarships were bestowed upon deserving female aviators, the largest scholarship program in the helicopter industry.

Recipients of the 2024 Whirly-Girls scholarships are:

Bridget Colby - Airbus Inadvertent IIMC Training Scholarship
Shalena Abbas - Anastasia Mosquito Control District Ag Spray Scholarship
Anna Harpila - Bell Training Academy Maintenance Scholarship
Lucy Passaniti - Stewart “Stu” Dietrick Memorial Scholarship
Teagan Trant - Bristow Group Initial Helicopter Flight Training Scholarship
Maggie Beseda - CAE SK-76 Initial Training for Helicopter ATP Scholarship
Katrin Doederer - Erickson & Volo Mission Vertical Reference/External Load Scholarship
Amory Harris - FlightSafety International Bell 206/Bell 407 Scholarship
Kellye Evans, Maria Paradise, & Kelsey Hoogendoorn - Garmin GTN & Flight Display Pilot Training Course Scholarship
Olivia Bassett & Laura Deatherage - Garmin Aviation Online Training Course Scholarship
Sarah Jackson - Leading Edge Flight Academy & Central Oregon Community College Helicopter Instrument Rating Scholarship
Charlotte Brown & Larissa O’Donoghue - Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Flight Training Course Scholarship
Alicia Martinez & Kaela Robertson - Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Full Airframe Maintenance Course Scholarship
Brandi Truesdel - Lora Trout Remembrance Initial or Commercial Training Scholarship
Ryan Hester - MD Helicopters MD500 Flight Training Scholarship
Yesenia Bello, Mariah Dugan, Larissa Hamilton, Andrea McGilvray, & Rebecca Torres - Oregon Aero CRM/AMRM Instructor Training Scholarship
Hannah Santamaria - Palm Beach Helicopters CFI/CFII Rating Scholarship
Amy Hartt & Kerry Hahne - PHI Aviation Bell 407 Scholarship
Cecily Olsen & Kim Loraine-Grews - Robinson Helicopters R22/R44 Safety Course Scholarship
Linnea Nelson & Leah French - Southern Utah University (SUU) Career Flight Training Scholarship
Ruby Esquivel - Southern Utah University (SUU) Maintenance Scholarship
Dallas Smith & Alexa Dunn - Survival Systems USA Aviation Survival & Egress Scholarship
Olivia Anderson - Edward M. Thurn Memorial Scholarship
Lexi Hargis - Whirly-Girls Memorial Flight Training Scholarship
Oceana Gamel Howes - Whirly-Girls Jean Tinsley Memorial Heli-Expo Scholarship
Harley Lenart - Whirly-Girls Initial/Add-on Flight Training Scholarship

“The 2024 Scholarship offering has been record breaking, and we are immensely grateful to our sponsors for their generosity and support. The cost of flight training can be prohibitive for any pilot and, with the continued help and involvement of our sponsors, we are able to provide crucial training opportunities and mentorship to a new generation of female helicopter pilots,” said Joanna Forrester, Whirly-Girls International Scholarship Director.

“Only 6% of helicopter pilots are women, and by raising awareness in the community and providing a strong scholarship program, one of our goals is to help widen the talent pool and bring a broader range of experience, skills and background to the aviation industry.”

The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. ("WGSF") was incorporated to oversee and administer the scholarship funds raised by the Whirly-Girls and their Associates. Initiated in 1968, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to a wide range of training and development scholarships valued today in excess of $500,000. For more information on Whirly-Girls International, please visit www.whirlygirls.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2023

Whirly-Girls Open 2024 Scholarship Season

The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. is proud to announce the opening of the 2024 scholarship season. Deserving female aviators and maintainers can apply for over $500,000 of helicopter training and educational scholarships. These scholarships advance the helicopter industry by strengthening the talent pool and increasing diversity. Applications are available online and are due October 1st, 2023.

This year, scholarship sponsors include Airbus, Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, Bell Helicopter, Bristow Group, CAE, Central Oregon Community College, Edward M. Thurn Trust, Erickson, FlightSafety International, Garmin, Leading Edge Flight Academy, Leonardo, MD Helicopters, Palm Beach Helicopters, PHI Aviation, Randy Mains & Oregon Aero, Robinson Helicopter Company, Southern Utah University, Survival Systems USA, Inc., Volo Mission, and many private donors. Scholarships are available for both experienced and newly-certificated pilots and maintainers, as well as those individuals who are seeking their initial ratings. Courses are offered for a variety of training objectives, including turbine transitions, software use, advanced aircraft certification, commercial flight training, airline transport licenses, and many more.

Past Whirly-Girls President, Alison Martin, stated, "When the original thirteen members of the Whirly-Girls founded this organization, they were the only female helicopter pilots in the world. They envisioned a place where female pilots could find support and camaraderie and help one another succeed. Today, our group has grown to over 2000 members but, despite this growth, females still comprise fewer than 6% of pilots. This cripples our industry, and our sponsors provide these career-building scholarships in an effort to advance women and aid the growth of aviation.” Every female pilot and mechanic owes it to herself to apply.

Scholarship applications are available at www.whirlygirls.org/apply-for-scholarships/ and are due October 1, 2023. Scholarships will be formally presented at the Whirly Girls Annual Banquet on February 25, 2024 at the HAI HELI-EXPO in Anaheim, CA. For more information on attending the banquet, please visit www.whirlygirls.org.

Whirly-Girls International is a non-profit, educational, and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in the helicopter aviation industry. The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. ("WGSF") was incorporated in 1974 to oversee and administer the scholarship funds raised by the Whirly-Girls and their auxiliaries, and is a federally tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity. Initiated in 1968, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to a wide range of training and development scholarships.

For more information on Whirly-Girls International and Whirly-Girls scholarships, please visit www.whirlygirls.org or contact the VP of Scholarships, Fallon Blattner, at scholarships@whirlygirls.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 8, 2023

Whirly-Girls International Awards Record Number of Scholarships

Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund Inc., a non-profit, educational, and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in the helicopter aviation industry, awarded over $500,000 in scholarships on March 5 at the Whirly-Girls Annual Awards Banquet during HAI HELI-EXPO in Atlanta, Georgia. Thanks to the support of aviation leaders, 32 scholarships were bestowed upon deserving female aviators, the largest scholarship program in the helicopter industry.

Recipients of the 2023 Whirly-Girls scholarships are:

Advanced Mountain Flight Training

Grace Wagner – Grand Canyon, Arizona

Airbus Inadvertent IIMC Training

Maria Loken-Kim – Kona, Hawaii

Bristow Group Initial Helicopter Flight Training

Katherine Cowley – Squamish, BC, Canada

Erickson & Volo Mission Vertical Reference/External Load Training

Jessica Meiris – Colorado Springs, Colorado

FlightSafety International Bell 206/Bell 407 Flight Training

Munanie Mbatha – Ormond Beach, Florida

Garmin GTN & Flight Display Pilot Training Course

Elizabeth Leidenheimer — Jackson, New Jersey
Bridget Colby- Camden, NSW, Australia
Amory Harris – Truckee, California

Garmin Aviation Online Training Course

Michelle Lambert – Bend, Oregon
Michelle Benke – Maricopa, Arizona

Leading Edge Flight Academy & Central Oregon Community College Helicopter Instrument Rating

Kellye Evans – Phoenix, Arizona

Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Flight Training Course

Adele Dobler – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Elizabeth Vavashe – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Leonardo Helicopters AW139 Flight Training Course

Jenetta Rutherford – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

MD Helicopters MD500 Flight Training

Michelle Benke – Maricopa, Arizona

Oregon Aero CRM/AMRM Instructor Training

Adele Dobler - Amory Harris – Truckee, California
Heidi McBride – Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Leah Murphy – Salisbury, Maryland
Amory Harris – Truckee, California

Palm Beach Helicopters CFI/CFII Rating

Amy Ehn – Kona, Hawaii

PHI Aviation Bell 407 Scholarship

Michelle Astergard – Kungsbacka, Sweden
Sage O’Loughlin – Yamhill, Oregon

Robinson Helicopters R22/R44 Safety Course

Maria Romero Abella – Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Robinson Helicopters R66 Safety Course

Leah Seitz – Larkspur, California

Southern Utah University (SUU) Career Flight Training

Isabella Blair – Grenada, Mississippi

Survival Systems USA Aviation Survival & Egress Training

Diana Arias – League City, Texas
Samantha Hansen – Hilo, Hawaii

Edward M. Thurn Memorial Flight Training

Haley Follman – Creede, Colorado

Lora Trout Memorial Flight Training

Leah Seitz – Larkspur, California

Whirly-Girls Jean Tinsley Memorial HELI-EXPO

Vanessa Mendoza – Boise, Idaho

Whirly-Girls Initial/Add-on Flight Training

Genie Mulari – Corona, California

“The 2023 Scholarship offering has been record-breaking, and we are immensely grateful to our sponsors for their generosity and support. The cost of flight training can be prohibitive for any pilot, and with the continued help and involvement of our sponsors, we are able to provide crucial training opportunities and mentorship to a new generation of female helicopter pilots” said Joanna Forrester, Whirly-Girls International Scholarship Director.

The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. ("WGSF") was incorporated to oversee and administer the scholarship funds raised by the Whirly-Girls and their Associates. Initiated in 1968, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to a wide range of training and development scholarships valued today more than $500,000. For more information on Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc., please visit www.whirlygirls.org