107 Scholarships Awarded in 2023 to Change Lives Through Aviation

Released July 31, 2023

Over 100 Scholarships have been awarded in 2023 to individuals across the United Kingdom through the Air League’s Scholarships Programme.

Scholarship courses are taking place at flying and gliding clubs across England, Wales and Scotland, with engineering placements at Marshall Aerospace and Affinity Flying Training Services and Drone Scholarships at Eagle Eye Innovations.

This year, the Air League is proud to award a total of 107 Scholarships; 27 Gliding Scholarships, 66 Flying Scholarships, 6 Engineering Scholarships and 8 Drone Scholarships.

Data from this year’s Scholars highlights that 31% are female, which is far higher than the industry average of 6.5% for pilots. 49% of Scholars are under the age of 18, and 47% are aged between 18-25. Furthermore, one in three Scholars are from an ethnic or minority background and 50% of Scholars’ parents were not university educated.

Following the awards, Ben Harris, Scholarship Programme and Operations Manager at the Air League, said:

‘The 2023 Scholarship Programme has proven that the desire to pursue a career in aviation is as strong as ever. Close to 700 applications were received for our Flying and Gliding Scholarships. The job of picking our lucky recipients was made very difficult due to the outstanding quality of the applicants. Our scholarships aim to assist in breaking down the barriers of entry to the aviation industry. We are hopeful that the 2023 Scholars will use their scholarships to propel themselves towards long and prosperous careers in aviation. We wish all recipients of the 2023 Air League Scholarships the very best of luck with their training.’

Emily Chase, a Gliding Scholar, said;

‘Ever since I was a small child, I have loved aviation. My parents used to take me to air shows when I was little, and they say that I have always been fascinated by things that fly. Planes, helicopters, gliders, anything really. As I got older, I started looking into potential career paths as an aviator and decided that I would like to fly as a commercial pilot when I’m older. It was last year that I fully committed to achieving that goal; I would study theory for hours on end. When school rolled back around in September, I began looking into PPL training schools. It was a big decision to make; but after a few months of research, I finally decided on a school. Not too long after, I began gliding, and recently, I received a gliding scholarship from the Air League. Knowing that I had that scholarship really helped my family and I; one of the barriers we have faced is money. It isn’t a cheap career path to follow, unless you obtain bursaries or scholarships. It was, and still is, a struggle, but the support that I have been granted from the Air League is truly incredible.’

Elizabeth McAllister, a Marshall Aerospace Engineering Scholar, said;

‘Growing up on RAF bases has meant that I’ve always been surrounded by aircraft and had an interest in aviation from a very young age. However, I wasn’t properly bitten by the aviation bug until I tried out flying for myself during a gliding scholarship which I was awarded by the Air League last summer. As much as I loved flying, I know that engineering is the career for me, and my flying experience has motivated me to look down an aerospace engineering path more specifically. Since last summer I’ve been bringing my interest in engineering and aviation together, such as by constructing a powered glider with my friends and teaching myself more about the principles of flight and aircraft design. I’m looking forward to learning even more about aerospace engineering during my placement at Marshall Aerospace. The experience will also motivate me throughout my engineering degree as I’ll have seen the real-world applications of all that I’ll be studying at university.’

Scholarship recipients will complete their courses over the coming months and will be invited to the annual Scholarship Awards Reception being held in London in November.

The Air League aims to inspire, enable, and support the next generation of aviation and aerospace professionals from any background across the United Kingdom. Over the past decade, scholarships worth over £2 million have been allocated. In 2023, over 100 awards worth over £180,000 have been allocated to aspiring individuals throughout the entire UK. The Air League is deeply grateful to the sponsors of the scholarships and bursaries who generously provide continuing support for scholarships and programmes.

flying

Samantha Davis
Aaron Macleod
Miria Mauricio
Jerome Fernando
Thomas Charnley
Brandon-Scott Studd
Samuel Baker
Scott Toland
Clementine King
Kian Watkins
Niamh Woods
Finnley Sprakes
Lucy Taylor
Shaan Yousaf
Oliver Justice
Lily Moore
Lucy Charters
Patrick Waddison
Jonathan Scott
Kailas Patel
Jack Regan
Alexander Gilmour
Alexander McCormick
Orla McMichael
Francesca Wynne
Harvey Ball
Jack Hicky-Welsh
Sophie Gairdner
Rory Maddocks
Jaideep Grewall
Christopher Edmunds
Abbie Haylock
Toby Ayres
Tim Richardson
Russell Osborne
Rowshon Chowdhury
Cameron Brown
Alistair Smith
George Doyle
Remi Morgan
Ancic Mathews
Nicholas Parrish
Stewart Richards
Krish Patel
Ammar Jamali
Mubashar Yasin
Oliver Smith
Harry Reed-Waller
Louie Stace
Kane Stanislas
Thomas Martin
Grace Cartwright
Adam Allen
Frederick Kingsland
Samuel Marlborough
Harriet Emmett
Tabitha Townshend-Pass
Esha Dongare
Ethan Deal
Howie Carless
Ryan Curtis
Callum Johnson-Sach
Alec Parkin
Haniyah Khan
Alex Hall
Dylan Gillespie

GLIDING

Denise John
Amelia Richardson
India Morrell
Rowan Goff
Alexander Day
Henry Collins
Lincoln Hung
Khalid Aziz
Emily Chase
Riccardo Iheanyiogu
Edward Field
Oliver Wright
Chanelle Green
Beth Hallam
Nathan McKay
Arran Johnson
Sumayyah Kriba
Lauren Walton
Mohammed Momaya
Michael Banks
Tabitha Carter
Veer Bhavsar
Emilia John-Baptiste
Jack Keelor
Malaika Mukhtar
Saqib Patel
Jacob Mccarthy