Background

The Company's flying scholarships provide a unique opportunity for people who would like to become pilots or to further their qualifications as pilots.  We try to arrange the selection period to avoid school/university examination times, whilst still providing candidates with as many months of potential good weather as we can to complete their training.

Timetable of Events

Application forms are usually available from late November or early December onwards as confirmed scholarships become available.  We are usually able to provide PPL(A), FIC(A) and Gliding Scholarships, subject to availability in a given year. Interviews will usually be during April and will be held in London.  Applicants should be aware that interviews take place on the arranged date in London (in person) and training must take place in a UK training organisation. Training in each instance MUST be completed by the end of September in the year of award; candidates should be aware that this demands a very high level of commitment during the summer months and if offered a scholarship, the Company will expect the recipient to meet this commitment.

2025 scholarships can be found here

You can watch videos taken during scholarship training here

Flight Instructor Certificate Scholarships

The Flight Instructor Certificate Scholarship award covers all direct training and examination costs for the successful candidate as they achieve their Fixed Wing Flying Instructor Certificate.  Training must be completed during the summer and before the end of September.

Private Pilot Licence Scholarships

These scholarships cover all aspects of training up to licence issue for a candidate who is prepared to dedicate a considerable part of the summer to gaining their PPL.  Providing up to 45 hours of flying training, these scholarships can take a candidate with little or no experience to completion of their flying licence during the course of the summer; alternatively they can "finish off" someone who is already partially trained.  Candidates must be 17 or over on 1 June of the year of application and the course must be completed by the end of September.

Gliding Scholarships

These scholarships are residential and are offered to people over the age of 16.  The successful candidates will have the opportunity to fly on a one week residential course at a youth approved British Gliding Association centre.  This course could take a candidate to first solo.  Candidates called for interview will be informed of the available dates and asked to confirm their preference at that time.

These scholarships are flown at designated Youth Gliding Centres in the UK and are designed to support the BGA Junior Gliding movement which caters for those aged 25 or under.

Funding

Click here to find out how you can contribute to the funding of Air Pilot Flying Scholarships

In addition to flying scholarships funded directly by the Company, each year we are fortunate to receive generous sponsorship from several sources to fund flying scholarships which are administered by the Company.  Recently funding was generously provided by benefactors for the following scholarships:

Air BP - funding for one PPL (fixed-wing) scholarship and one gliding scholarship - 'The Air BP Sterling Card Scholarship'

Past Master Mike Grayburn - funding for one PPL (fixed-wing) scholarship - 'The Grayburn Scholarship'

The Air Pilots Benevolent Fund - funding for one PPL (fixed-wing) scholarship

Adrian Swire Charitable Trust - funding for one FIC (fixed-wing) scholarship - 'The Swire Scholarship'

Captain Colin Donaldson – funding for one PPL scholarship – 'The Donaldson Scholarship'

BALPA Benevolent Fund -- funding for three PPL scholarships – 'The Wrigley Scholarship', 'The Lane-Burslem Scholarship' and 'The Bob Dawson Scholarship'

Dunmore Scholarship - funding for one PPL (fixed-wing) scholarship

Sky Demon Scholarship - funding for one PPL (fixed-wing) scholarship

The Air Safety Trust - funding for one FIC (fixed-wing) scholarship - 'The Norman Motley FIC Scholarship'

The Air Pilots Trust - funding for one PPL (fixed-wing) scholarship - ‘The Sir Sefton Brancker Scholarship’

Funding for a number of residential Gliding Scholarships was provided by: the Air Pilots Flying Club, the Benevolent Fund, the Air Safety Trust, the Air Pilots Trust, Past Master Dorothy Saul Pooley, Past Master Robin Keegan, Virgin Atlantic, 2Excel, Red Arrows Trust,  RAFA and the AFG

Flying Scholarships Winners 2024

If you are thinking of applying for a scholarship, you may well find the information accessed at the link above helpful in understanding what is involved. 

Presentation of the Awards

The prestigious John Landymore Trophy is awarded to to the PPL Scholar who is considered to by the Scholarship Panel the outstanding PPL Scholar of the year, based on reports received from the Flying Schools, the reports made by the Scholar during the course and during long and arduous discussion between members of the Scholarship Panel.  The award is made at the Trophies and Awards Banquet held in October at Guildhall, London.

The winner of the John Landymore Trophy in 2024 is Ciaran Haverty.

Each year in November the Honourable Company celebrates the achievement of many of the Scholarship and Bursary Award Winners in Cutlers' Hall in the City of London.  It is an opportunity for the newest members of the Company to meet with the Court and their sponsors to share their experiences of the summer.

Gliding Scholarship certificates are presented at the end of each residential course at the school at which the students have trained.  This enables all those who have contributed to the week to be part of the celebrations.

Air Pilots Youth Gliding

You may be interested to know of a scheme sponsored by a group of Livery Companies, and administered and led the the Honourable Company of Air Pilots which provides students of secondary schools,academies and youth groups the opportunity to experience a day visit to a British Gliding Association (BGA) school.

If you would like your school or group to get involved with this scheme, you can find out more by clicking on the title link.