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.

FMI: www.whirlygirls.org