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Scholarships Target Aviation Gender Gap

The I Hart Flying Foundation awarded $35,000 toward the flight training costs of five aspiring female pilots.

Hannah Rust is one of five aspiring female pilots who received the Industry Connect scholarship. [Courtesy: I Hart Flying Foundation]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The I Hart Flying Foundation recently awarded its "Industry Connect" scholarships to five women, selected from 160 applicants, to support their aviation training and goals.
  • The foundation aims to close the significant gender gap in aviation by providing crucial financial aid (flight training funds ranging from $2,500-$5,000) to aspiring female pilots.
  • The scholarship program is unique in that it offers non-age-restricted financial assistance, alongside valuable in-kind donations, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
  • Since its inception in 2017, the I Hart Flying Foundation has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships and support to 26 women pursuing aviation careers.
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Five women got a little closer to reaching their aviation goals this week, thanks to the Industry Connect scholarship made possible by the I Hart Flying Foundation. The foundation announced the scholarship opportunity during EAA AirVenture held July 25 through 31 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A four-week application process followed, and, at the end of it, five women were selected as the Class of 2022 Hart Scholars.

The purpose of the scholarship organization is to help close the gender gap in aviation—less than 10 percent of the pilots in the world are female. Finances are often the largest barrier a fledgling pilot faces. The scholarships, which range from $2,500 to $5,000 in the form of flight training funds, help the women student pilots overcome the obstacles.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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