On Wednesday 30th October, the Air League was delighted to welcome over 200 guests to the annual Scholarship Awards Reception.
The Reception allows Scholarship Recipients, their families and Scholarship Sponsors to meet, network and celebrate achievements. Scholarship Certificates were presented by the President of the Air League, Sir Christopher Harper, followed by an inspiring keynote speech from Virgin Atlantic Captain Chris Pohl.
This year, the Air League was proud to award a total of 107 Scholarships: 56 Flying Scholarships, 31 Gliding Scholarships, 9 Drone Scholarships, 5 ATPL Theory Bursaries, 3 Engineering Scholarships, and 3 Electric Flying Scholarships.
Data from this year’s Scholars highlights that 30% are female, which is far higher than the industry average of 6.5% for pilots. 45% of Scholars are under the age of 18, and 48% are aged between 18-24. Furthermore, one in four Scholars are from an ethnic or minority background and 45% of Scholars’ parents were not university educated.
In 2024, the Air League also launched the UK’s first Electric Flying Scholarships. The Air League has been working to promote sustainable air-mindedness amongst the next generation, and the Electric Flying Scholarships have ensured a renewed focus on sustainable aviation.
The Reception also saw the presentation of three additional annual awards.
The Prince Phillip Award, presented to Josef Triyantoro:
“I was honoured to receive a 12 Hour Flying Scholarship from the Air League, sponsored by Dr Guy Wakeley and completed with South Warwickshire Flying School in August. During this time, I focused on navigation lessons, advancing further through the syllabus, and building on my previous knowledge. This experience allowed me to grow more confident in the cockpit, especially when away from familiar airspace. I am incredibly grateful to the Air League and Dr Wakeley for their unwavering support throughout this journey. This opportunity not only deepened my passion for aviation, but also enabled me to progress further through my flight training. I am truly proud to receive the Prince Philip Award in 2024, recognising my dedication and achievements throughout my PPL.”
The Evelyn Saunders Memorial Cup, presented to Hannah McCann:
“I am deeply honoured to receive the 2024 Evelyn Saunders Memorial Cup. Having been selected for the UK’s inaugural fully-electric flying scholarship and one of a lucky few in the world to have completed electric differences training on the Pipistrel Velis Electrco, I am humbled to acknowledge the legacy of a woman who fearlessly pursued her aviation dreams. Evelyn Saunders’ determination serves as an inspiration to all; this award typifies the invaluable support I have received from the Air League and Saxon Air, and I am grateful for the opportunity to pave the way in shaping the future of the aviation industry. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has supported me on this journey and I cannot wait to pay this Scholarship forward and use my newfound skills to drive innovation, promote sustainable practices, and contribute to a more environmentally responsible aviation industry.”
The Eagle Eye Drone Scholar of the Year Award, presented to Roxanne Brunton-Sim.
The Air League congratulates all 107 of this year’s Scholars and thanks its Corporate Sponsors, Scholarship Sponsors and Members for their continued support in aim of Changing Lives Through Aviation.
FLYING
SPONSORED BY THE STELIOS PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION
Jack Nathan Hickey-Welsh
Joshua Green
Stewart Richards
Leo Oxford
Matthew Atkinson
Henry Collins
Rowan Goff
Oliver Justice
Donnach Gibbons
India Morrell
Samuel Jefferson
James Nicholas
Roy Siu
SPONSORED BY ANGLIAN FLIGHT CENTRES
Toby Peters
SPONSORED BY RAY AND BARBARA STOCK
Haayed Aslam
Adam McKenna
SPONSORED BY DR GUY WAKELEY
Andrea Troso
Josef Triyantoro
THE GUY GIBSON VC SCHOLARSHIP
Basel Hammond
THE MACROBERT SCHOLARSHIP
Oliver Evans
Ivan Jariod Scott
THE W.B. RHODES-MOORHOUSE VC SCHOLARSHIP
Caitlin Ryan
THE SIR ARTHUR MARSHALL FLYING SCHOLARSHIP
Finn Hewitt
Arran Johnson
Jake Stabb
Drishal Bharakhada
Noah Barker
Kailas Patel
Jack Roberts
Rory Stanley
Lucy Charters
Liam Lightfoot
Charles Horn
Rebecca Hammond
Samuel Able
Thomas Charnley
Annalise Robinson-Groves
THE CAPTAIN COLIN BARNES FLYING SCHOLARSHIP
David Ringelmann
Samuel Harper
Emily Drayson
THE SIR ADRIAN SWIRE SCHOLARSHIP
Ethan Dennis Le Chevalier
Harvey Hawkes
Sidney Sarpong
Katie Williams
THE MICHAEL COBHAM SCHOLARSHIP
Kane Stanislas
Louie Stace
Niamh Woods
Toby Ayres
Phoebe Kershaw
Amelia Owens
Daria Mamontova
Maya Komolafe
Yousef Abdul Ghani
Beth Hornby
THE LUCAS AEROSPACE SCHOLARSHIP
Harry Beedham
THE SELWYN JONES SCHOLARSHIP
Samuel Walters
GLIDING
SPONSORED BY AIRLINEPREP
Joel Riley
THE ALEX WIGGINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Joshua Tudose
SPONSORED BY FORBES INSURANCE
Tessa Parkin
THE SIR ARTHUR MARSHALL GLIDING SCHOLARSHIP
Noah Williams
Cameron Russell
Leo Sentinella
Matthew Lau
Charlie Bridgland
Billy Cranmer
Darren Guo
Redas Rocko
Ava Udwadia
Till Roberts
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN GLIDING SCHOLARSHIP
Jack Keelor
Max Jozef Osiatynski
Alexander Rusinek
Alexander Gilmour
Matthew Knapman
Jenson Greenstreet
THE ROBERT KRONFELD GLIDING SCHOLARSHIP
Frederick Sills
Oliver Wright
Scott Metcalfe
Joseph Hawkins
Justin Bennett
Megan Asare
William Hobbis
SPONSORED BY BOEING
Joseph Lyon-Hayes
Marcus Levick
Rishab Chatterjee
Cecil Rountree
Rayan Akhtar
DRONE
SPONSORED BY EAGLE EYE INNOVATIONS
Ethan Tsang
Zubair Syed
Habtezion Dawit
Helen Haile
Hannah Hockin
Rose Delaney
Matthew Bennett
Roxanne Brunton-Sim
Utkarsh Bhamidimarri
ELECTRIC FLYING
SPONSORED BY THE STELIOS PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION
Isla Watson
Hannah McCann
Ismael Sbai Ahmidouch
ENGINEERING
SPONSORED BY AFFINITY FLYING TRAINING SERVICES
Jack Hutchinson
Moaeez Rehman
Annmaria Tome
ATPL THEORY
SPONSORED BY PADPILOT
Benjamin Curtis
Roshan Rai
Tim Heptinstall
Wendy Hau
Amy Clews