In last week’s Flying newsletter, our editor-in-chief Robert Goyer wrote about a study that AOPA conducted to find out why a staggering number of student pilots drop out prior to completing their license. It found that, in making the decision to continue flight training, the quality of instruction and sense of community were more important than the lack of the necessary funding. The second reason struck home with me since I had just returned from the Women in Aviation, International (WAI) annual conference in Reno, Nevada.
During my time as a student pilot, I did a lot of research into different flying related organizations. Being short on funds, my main focus at the time was finding money, and I found that there were many scholarships out there for people like me. The local Ninety-Nines chapter had a Private Pilot License scholarship. I was fortunate to receive a few hundred dollars after I completed my solo flight and upon completion of my license.
