Coptersafety Sponsors Whirly-Girls Helicopter Training Scholarship

Scholarship applications are open to Whirly-Girls members through early October. [Credit: Shutterstock]

There is no such thing as inexpensive flight training, especially when it comes to flying a rotorwing. Thankfully there are scholarships offered through Whirly-Girls International, a nonprofit, educational and charitable organization established in 1955 to promote women in the helicopter industry.

A member of Whirly-Girls will benefit from a scholarship sponsored by Coptersafety, an independent helicopter pilot training provider that specializes in simulator training for H125s, H145s, AW13s9, and AW169s. Training is done at Coptersafety's facility near Helsinki Airport (EFHK). The independent training provider offers instruction for certification around the world.

The scholarship provides an opportunity for one Whirly-Girls member to complete an FAA H145 initial training and/or ATP training course, including technical ground training, full-flight simulator training, and practical tests.

The training is done using Level D full-flight simulators.

Applications are open until early October, and the scholarship will be awarded in 2025.

This is Coptersafety’s second scholarship sponsorship with Whirly-Girls, as earlier this year the company sponsored two FAA AW139 type rating scholarships.

“At Coptersafety, we recognize the importance of increasing diversity in the vertical aviation industry," said Matt Presnal, chief theoretical knowledge instructor at Coptersafety. "We are proud to continue our collaboration with Whirly-Girls International. 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."

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on FLYING.

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Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 25 years and a CFI for more than 21 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 X (formerly Twitter). @2Lewski.