SCHOLARSHIP OVERVIEW
This is a “worker” award for a young soaring pilot who has made impressive contributions to a USA soaring Club or School. Someone who may be too financially strapped to buy tows for personal recreation or personal progress in the sport. This award is intended to finance post-solo soaring by SSA members aged 14-25. This includes activities such as chasing badges, attending wave and cross country camps, entering contests, and flight training.
Winners of this annual scholarship are selected from young soaring-pilot and SSA member applicants who are of great service at a USA gliderport, and who make a good case via an applicant’s statement and letters of recommendation for their desire to progress in soaring, their financial need, and promise in other aspects of life.
Promotion of the program is a cooperation between SSA, which administers and judges the scholarship, and local soaring clubs and schools, who get credit for their charges. Also, they may well perform advanced training of the winner or collect fees for aircraft rental or services. When one of their ground-crew gang wins, they win.
The sponsors of this program, from throughout the USA soaring community, hope the scholarship will help a few more young people make the transition from basic glider flying to sport soaring. In the process, the word can grow that excellence as a soaring pilot need not require advanced age or a large bank account. Most importantly, this is a “thank you” to young ground-crew workers on whom the sport depends so much.
AWARD DETAILS
FIRST PRIZE (up to 2): Up to $1000 in credit available from the SSA for approved expenses. (The prize must be used for soaring activities: ship rental, badge attempts, contest entry fees, or instruction, not college expenses)
SECOND PRIZE (up to 3): On occasion, a close runner-up may be recognized with textbooks or T-shirts and encouraged to apply again.
Promotion and fulfillment of the program are a cooperation between SSA, which administers and judges the scholarship, and local soaring chapters, clubs, and schools, who get reimbursement for their qualified charges; tows, glider rental, instructional costs, and costs of successful exams. The flight training organization must be willing to cooperate on the reimbursement process. Funds are not available for dues, joining fees, or other non-training costs.
FAQS
- Demonstrates commitment to soaring by contributing through both flying and non-flying activities and is known for being willing to help with anything.
- Demonstrates a strong interest in aviation and had specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T) goals related to soaring.
- Includes a personal statement that explains how they will use the scholarship. Ideally, this is a project or goal that relates to the item above.
- Has various skills and talents and uses them to promote their club, soaring in general, etc.
- Ideally, demonstrates a financial need for the award (this should NOT discourage anyone from applying)
- Read the award biographies in the section above for all of the awards that you are eligible for.
- Find a mentor (at your flying club/operation, school, family, etc.) who will read your application completely and help you revise it.
- Ask for reference letters several weeks before the application is due so that they are well written and not rushed.
- The scholarship selection committee is looking to invest the money in people who have earned these awards through their contributions to soaring. Give specific examples of things you did that benefit the soaring community. Some common examples:
- Instead of saying: “I help get gliders ready”, try: “Every weekend I help with/conduct pre-flight inspections, clean the canopies, wipe the wings, and walk the gliders to the flight line for others.”
- Instead of saying: “I talk about gliders at school”, try: “During my Science class, we had to give presentations on (insert topic here) and I shared the story and photos of my first glider ride and a summary of how gliders fly.”
- Convince the scholarship selection committee that you love glider flying and that you have a plan to use the scholarship money. If applying to use the money for flight training, don’t leave the scholarship committee wondering what club you will be flying at, how you will get there, etc. If applying for the Bultman, be creative with your application and intended use – some ideas to get started might be: going to fly cross country or wave camp or contest, going to fly at a new location (maybe not even in the US), taking friends for rides, getting a winch/aerotow/motorglider endorsement, etc.
ELIGIBILITY
Ages 14-25
Post-Solo Student Pilots and Pilots without a glider rating & Rated Glider Pilots
AWARD AMOUNT
Up to $1000 for Post-Solo Soaring
DEADLINE
March 31st
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
May 1st