Air League Flying Bursaries

[aluminium persuader]

I won a flying bursary this year! I am sooo chuffed! I really can't recommend it enough. I was for various reasons finding it hard to get the cash to spend on flying & remembered the Air League. They say "getting YOUNG men & women into the air" so I wasn't hopeful but applied anyway, and hey! I won one!

How "young " am I? 38!

So, guys & gals, there is help out there. I'm in the middle of an aerobatics course with mine & loving it. I'm even beating the air-sickness which was a worry!

Who else has won? What are you doing with yours? Don't be shy now!!

ap:ok:

[hobbit1983]

Bringing this one back up as I'm asking for advice-

I’m going for the Air League Flying Bursaries this December, and would very much appreciate any advice/comments/tips etc anyone has to offer, be they in general or about the ALET in particular.

Did anyone else get one of these? How'd it go?

[CapCon]

I was awarded a 15 hour bursary in 2004 and used it to complete my PPL.

Friendliest interview I've ever had! The guys interviewing were enthusiastic and made me feel very comfortable and relaxed during the interview. Didn't really ask any impossible questions, just the standard 'about me' questions.

Hobbit, good luck with your application. There really isn't too much too say about the interview. Just prove that you are genuinely enthusiastic about learning to fly.

Plus the awards party at St James' Palace was good fun. Lots of champagne (courtesy of BA) and was even introduced to good old Prince Philip :cool:

[aluminium persuader]

I think the 15-hr awards are Flying Scholarships, for which you have to not have a licence yet.

I won a Sir Michael Cobham Flying Bursary this year. I already had PPL, IMC & Multi-engine ratings and as I said I'm in my late 30's so I thought I stood no chance at all. I was amazed to win one, and I've just finished an aerobatics course with it.

There was no interview; just the one form and membership of the Air League. I was careful to make a copy of the form first to practice on, and you have to write in 100 words or less why you think you should win an award. I don't know whether it's good advice or not, but I made darn sure the "essay" was spot on the quantity. It is hard to keep within the limit, but write out what you want to say and then pare it down to the salient points and remove all unneccessary words.

Good luck!

ap:ok:

[Zulu Alpha]

How do we find out more. My 16 year old son would love to learn to fly and a bursary of this type would make that possible.

Many thanks

[hobbit1983]

Thanks for the advice guys - being enthusiastic about flying training should not be a problem :ok: Will def do a practice essay/form too.

Zulu Alpha - this site http://www.airleague.co.uk/scholarships.html should give you all the info you need on ALET Scholarships etc.

[Zulu Alpha]

Many thanks.

ZA

[AerBabe]

Ooh, thanks for the reminder, AP. Must must must remember to apply...

[Another St Ivian]

I won one of the Airbus UK bursaries last year, provided me with about £800 if I remember rightly. Used the money in conjunction with my own funds to convert to a larger/more complex aircraft, touch on instrument navigation and notch up enough hours to renew my shortly to expire SEP rating all in one go.
No interview, done solely on the application form you submit. I was actually initially declined a bursary but a chap from the Air League rang me a few weeks later to say that Airbus UK had agreed to provide additional bursaries and ask me if I would like to take one up.
My advice would be to keep it simple and clear. You only have 100 words to play with, so be direct. What do you want, why, and how would the bursary help you out. As a current AeroEng Uni student my main 'need' for a bursary was financial assistance.
The Awards bash at St James was also a great night out too. Lots of champagne, interesting hors d'œuvres and some even better speakers, including the Duke of Edinburgh. I made a bit of a night of it and checked my guest and I into the Hilton on Park Lane. All together the evening was almost as good as the flying itself!
You also meet some rather interesting people, so the opportunity exists for a bit of networking too.
If you can, go for it!