Nine Receptients Anounced
The Whirly-Girls
International will present their 2004 scholarships to nine women at
the annual Whirly-Girls Scholarship Banquet held during Heli Expo
2004. Together, the scholarships are worth a total of $40,490 of
helicopter flight training. Some scholarships were donated by
training facilities and helicopter manufacturers while $19,000 in
cash gifts to the scholarship fund were also awarded.
The scholarships and winners are as follows:
American Eurocopter Flight Training
Scholarship, awarded to Terri Watson, WG#548, of Lander
(WY). The American Eurocopter scholarship gives a Whirly-Girl in
good standing the opportunity to attend an AS350 Turbine Helicopter
Transition course at the American Eurocopter Factory School in
Grand Prairie, Texas. Watson will use her scholarship for a turbine
transition in the American Eurocopter AStar. Watson is an EMS
helicopter pilot for CJ Systems Aviation as well as Executive
Director of LightHawk, an environmental monitoring non-profit
organization.
Bell Helicopter Textron Flight Training
Scholarship, awarded to Patricia Boyer, WG#1206, of
Wilbrahm, Mass. The Bell Helicopter Scholarship gives a Whirly-Girl
in good standing the opportunity to attend the Bell 206 Turbine
Transition course at the Bell Customer Training Academy in Fort
Worth, Texas. The award includes ground and some flight training.
Boyer's goal for her scholarship is to obtain a turbine transition.
Boyer is a teacher director for Head Start in Wilbraham, Mass. She
holds a commercial and instrument rotorcraft helicopter
certificate. Boyer studied at both Westfield State College and
Holyoke Community College in education.
Doris Mullen Flight
Training Scholarship, awarded to Angela Wittenberg,
WG#1112, of Medford (OR). Funded by the Whirly-Girls, Inc,
this scholarship provides $4,500 to a Whirly-Girl in good standing
toward an advanced helicopter rating (typically toward instrument,
instructor, ATP, or turbine transition training). This scholarship
is in memory of Doris Mullen (WG #84), who lost her life in a fixed
wing aircraft accident in 1968. Wittenberg plans to use the
scholarship for recurrent training and an instrument add-on.
Wittenberg is an aviation operations specialist for the Alaska Fire
Service/Bureau of Land Management.
Esther "Jerry" Gardiner Memorial Scholarship,
awarded to Lisa Pendergrass, WG#1204, of Tryon (NC). This
scholarship is offered for the first time in 2004 thanks to a
generous bequest from Esther Gardiner, WG#38, who passed away in
2002, and her family. It is an award for up to $2,500 toward
recurrency training to a Whirly-Girl in good standing. Pendergrass
holds a private rotorcraft certificate and is working on her
commercial rotorcraft certificate. The scholarship will help her
work towards her goal of becoming a Commercial helicopter pilot and
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI).
Flight Safety International Instrument Refresher Course
Scholarship, awarded to Pam Gallina, WG#744, of Ft.
Lauderdale (FL). Sponsored by FSI-Texas, this scholarship is
awarded to a Whirly-Girl in good standing who possesses an
instrument rating. The course will consist of 12 hours of academic
training and 6 hours of simulator instruction and will be conducted
at the Flight Safety Learning Center in Hurst (TX) or West
Palm Beach (FL). Gallina is an aviation safety inspector for the
FAA and holds an ATP rating in helicopters and airplanes, CFII in
helicopters and airplanes, and a SEL sea plane rating. In 1993,
International Whirly-Girls Helicopter Flight Training
Scholarship, awarded to Patricia Calder, WG#1213, of
Wuppertal, Germany. The international helicopter flight training
scholarship provides USD$4,500 for a currently licensed female
pilot who is not a citizen of the United States to obtain her
helicopter add-on rating or upgrade her current helicopter rating.
Calder's goal is to finish her instrument rating with continuing
plans to complete her commercial rating and become a flight
instructor.
Robinson Safety Course Scholarship, awarded to
Melanie Real, WG#998, of San Pedro (CA). Donated by Robinson
Helicopter Company, this scholarship allows a Whirly-Girl in good
standing to attend the Robinson R22/R44 Safety Course. Conducted at
the Robinson factory in Torrance, Calif., the course is a 3 1/2 day
class that includes 2 1/2 days of classroom instruction and one day
devoted to maintenance, pre-flight inspections, and flying with an
experienced Robinson pilot. Real's goal for her scholarship is to
keep her CFI certificate current. Real is a teacher and site
coordinator for Harbor Community Adult School in San Pedro.
Vortex Flight Training
Scholarship, awarded to Cathy Yelle, WG#768, of
Schenectedy (NY) Funded by Vortex Helicopters, Inc. and
offered for the first time in 2004, this scholarship provides up to
$3,000 in funding to a Whirly-Girl in good standing toward
recurrency or an advanced helicopter rating at the Vortex facility
in Long Beach, Miss. This will offer her the opportunity to enhance
her professionalism, safety, and marketability in the helicopter
industry. Yelle owns Yankee Helicopters which she started by
leasing a helicopter. Currently she is a Commercial helicopter
pilot as well as a private airplane pilot with an instrument
rating. She holds an AA degree from Eastern Wyoming College in
Forestry. Yelle's new company a dream and a part of that
dream is obtaining a flight instructor's certificate through her
training at Vortex Helicopters.
Whirly-Girls Helicopter Flight Training
Scholarship, awarded to Danielle Smiley of Vancouver,
British Columbia. The helicopter flight training scholarship
provides USD$4,500 for a currently licensed female pilot to obtain
her helicopter add-on rating. Smiley's goal is to obtain a
helicopter add-on rating and become an air ambulance pilot in
helicopters. Smiley has been a fixed wing pilot since
1997. Smiley is currently a First Officer on a Jetstream 31
airplane with Paladin Advanced Air Ambulance in Vancouver.
In addition to the scholarships, each winner was presented with
a copy of "Cyclic and Collective," donated by author Shawn
Coyle.