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Whirly-Girl Scholarships Left to right: Mary Baker, Krista Holstrom, Susie Nguyen, Nicole Vandelaar, Angie Griffin, Jessica Ward, Kelly Anderson. Not pictured: Maggie Mutahi Beseda and Elizabeth Kassman. Thanks to Amy Laboda and the HAI Convention News.
History Initiated in 1968 in memory of Doris Mullen (WG #84), a dedicated and professional pilot who lost her life in a fixed-wing aircraft accident, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to several different scholarships valued in excess of $45,000. 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. The Scholarship Fund is replenished through the eforts of the Whirly-Girls Auxiliary and the HELI-EXPO merchandise booth. In the past several years, many helicopter manufacturers and commercial operators have also made significant contributions to the Scholarship Fund. About the Judges
Dr. Donna Wilt is an associate professor Hampton University in Hampton, VA. She has 27 years of experience in the general aviation industry. She holds the designation of Master Certified Flight Instructor by the National Association of Flight Instructors, has served as an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor, is an AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer, and has consulted as a subject matter expert in general aviation for NASA. The Whirly-Girls are grateful for this gift of her professional time and efforts.
Dr. Snyder is the author of more than 40 scientific papers and articles on aviation medical issues in various professional pilot journals. He is a rated commercial pilot, FAA certified flight instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner. He holds Gold Seal Flight Instructor and Advanced Ground Instructor ratings as well. Dr. Snyder has 2400+ flying hours in 48 types of aircraft from gliders to F-16's. He was attached as a glider instructor pilot and spin instructor at the US Air Force Academy's 94th Flying Training Squadron. He is the recipient of the US Air Force Academy's award for the 94 FTS Attached Instructor Pilot of the Year, 2000. Dr. Snyder serves as an Aviation Safety Counselor for the Denver FSDO and has been a National Association of Flight Instructors Master CFI. As Associate Aeromedical Advisor for Aviation Medicine Advisory Service, he is a certified Medical Review Officer for DOT drug and alcohol testing procedures.
The Awarding Process Once the sponsors and judge have rated the applicant, the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Board again reviews each application. They take into consideration the applicant’s scholarship request, the sponsor’s and judge’s ratings, and make the final decision on which applicants to award each scholarship. Scholarships are awarded at an annual banquet during the Helicopter Association International HELI-EXPO convention and must be used by the recipient in the year awarded. Members may apply for up to five scholarships, but each applicant will be awarded at most one scholarship per year. American Eurocopter Flight Training Scholarship
Sponsored by American Eurocopter, this scholarship will give a Whirly-Girl the opportunity to attend an AS350 Turbine Transition Course at the American Eurocopter Factory School in Grand Prairie, Texas, USA. Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good standing and must have been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012).
This scholarship, sponsored by Robinson Helicopter, provides a Whirly-Girl currently flying Robinsons the opportunity to attend the Safety Course and build R44 time. Robinson provides this 3-1/2 day course in Torrance, CA, USA, including 5 hours of R44 flight time. The course includes 2-1/2 days of classroom instruction, awareness training, SFAR 73, in the R22 and R44 helicopter systems. One day is devoted to maintenance, pre-flight inspections, and flying with an experienced RHC pilot. The course is open to any rated helicopter pilot who has at least 3 hours in the R22 or R44 helicopter. This course is required by most insurance companies and serves as a CFI refresher. Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good standing and must have been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012).
Sponsored by FlightSafety International, this scholarship is awarded to a Whirly-Girl who possesses at least a Private Pilot Helicopter license and has landing currency in a helicopter. (Note: the applicant need not have landing currency in a Bell 206.) This training program includes initial type training, recurrent training, and inadvertent IMC training using the world’s first Bell 206 FAA Level 7 qualified Flight Training Device. This five-day course consists of academic training and six hours in the FTD. Training will be available at FlightSafety’s Helicopter Learning Center of Excellence in Lafayette, LA, USA. Course value $10,000. Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good standing and must have been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012).
This scholarship is provided in memory of Keiko Minakata, WG# 1339. This scholarship gives a deserving Whirly Girl the skills to cope with turbulence, rugged terrain, landing zone selection, in mountainous and canyon areas, with special emphasis placed on decision making. It also provides the skill needed to fly all sorts of private and commercial helicopter missions that require off-airport landings anywhere in the country, regardless of altitude or terrain. It's a real confidence-builder, especially if the pilot has very little experience in off-road operations. It includes ½ day extensive ground school with 5 hours of flight time. The pilot taking this course should preferably have 500 Rotorcraft hours and be current in the MD500 series or the Schweitzer/Hughes 300 series, but this is not mandatory. The training will take place in the MD500. Training will be at Western Helicopters Inc., Rialto, CA. Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good standing and must have been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012).
Sponsored by Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU), this Night Vision Goggle (NVG) scholarship will be awarded to a career minded Whirly-Girl who needs an initial or a recurrent Night Vision Goggle (NVG) endorsement for a flight position, such as airborne law enforcement and airborne EMS to a variety of government agencies. The NVG course will go to a Whirly-Girl that possesses the following prerequisites: Commercial Rotorcraft Rating and Instrument Rotorcraft Rating, Current Class II Medical, 500 PIC flight hours in Rotorcraft or more, Turbine transition (preferable BH-206). The selected applicant will receive 8 hours of academic training and 5 hours of turbine instruction. The value of this scholarship opportunity is $7,000. Training will be conducted at Gowen Field Airport, Boise, Idaho, USA. The scholarship will be provided to a member in good standing who has been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012). Aircraft Ditching Course ScholarshipThis scholarship is provided by Survival Systems USA and provides a deserving Whirly-Girl the knowledge and skills necessary to react to an aircraft-ditching emergency, care for herself in a sea survival situation, and to participate to the maximum extent in her rescue. The pilot taking this course should have at least a private pilot license and is required to have no physical limitations that would prevent her from participating in strenuous physical training. Training will be at Survival Systems USA in Groton, Connecticut. Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good standing and must have been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012). Whirly-Girls Memorial Flight Training ScholarshipThis new scholarship is provided by the WGSF, Inc., and now combines the Phelan International and Doris Mullen Flight Training Scholarships. This scholarship provides $6,000 and is given in memory of our founder, Jean, and her husband Jim Phelan, along with the memory of Doris Mullen who lost her life in a fixed wing accident in 1968. This scholarship provides ANY Whirly-Girl a chance to UPGRADE her current rating. (It is typically applied toward Commercial, Instrument, Instructor, ATP, Long Line or Turbine Transition Training.) Requirements: The applicant must be a member in good standing and must have been a member for no less than one year by the time she is awarded the scholarship (February 2012). Whirly-Girls Helicopter Add-on Fight Training ScholarshipFOR FEMALE PILOTS RATED IN AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN HELICOPTERS. This scholarship, funded by the WGSF, is provided this year in memory of Bob Vetter, WG Auxiliary member and husband of Bev WG#459. It provides $6,000 to assist a certificated female pilot, does not currently have a helicopter rating, in earning her add-on helicopter rating. Applicant will be evaluated for evidence of intent to work in the helicopter industry. Scholarships Application Rules:
Applications must include all of the following:
Congratulations to the 2012 Whirly-Girls Scholarships Winners:2012 Whirly-Girls Helicopter Add-On Flight Training Scholarship 2012 Whirly-Girls Memorial Helicopter Flight Training Scholarship 2012 American Eurocopter Flight Training Scholarship 2012 Robinson Safety Course Scholarship 2012 Advanced Mountain Flying Scholarship in memory of Keiko Minakata 2012 Flight Safety International Bell 206 Initial Pilot Scholarship Aircraft Ditching Course Scholarship |
Many of our Scholarships are awarded based on the independent and objective judging of Dr. Donna Forsyth Wilt, Dr. Quay Snyder, and Richard Weiss. 
Dr. Quay Snyder, MD, MSPH, President/CEO of Virtual Flight Surgeons is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and Duke University School of Medicine. He spent 17 years in the US Air Force and five years in the Colorado Air National Guard as a flight surgeon and Colorado State Air Surgeon. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in the in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics and at the University of Colorado Medical School in the Department of Occupational Medicine.
Richard "Rick" Weiss began his career in 1968 at the Kennedy Space Center as a Launch Operations Engineer for NASA on the Apollo/Saturn Program, launching all the missions to the moon and the Skylab. He was then the lead propulsion engineer at KSC for the Space Shuttle. He transferred to the FAA in 1980 and held increasingly responsible positions including Director of Safety Oversight, Director of General Aviation and Vertical Flight Research and Development, and Technical Assistant to the Administrator. Rick was selected by the FAA to attend Fort Rucker, AL for Army rotorcraft training and graduated as an Army Rotary Wing Aviator and a civilian rotary wing pilot. He retired from government service in 1996 and worked for EAA as the Washington, DC representative until 2000 when he left to become a pilot for Delta/Atlantic Southeast Airlines. He retired as a Captain in 2006.