AOPA Announces 2016 Flight Training Scholarship Recipients

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) announced 15 individuals have been selected as winners of the 2016 AOPA Flight Training Scholarships, a program designed to help aviation trainees of all ages earn a pilot certificate. The scholarships are funded by donations to the AOPA Foundation.

The 2016 winners, who include seven female aviators, an active-duty Marine, three high-school and college-aged student pilots, and one recipient in his fifties, will receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $12,000. "Earning a pilot certificate takes dedication," said AOPA President Mark Baker. "But those who commit to meeting the challenge are inspired and rewarded with new skills, confidence, and the freedom to fly. AOPA, with the support of our generous donors, is pleased to help these 15 individuals pursue flight training and their dreams of becoming a pilot."

The AOPA Flight Training Scholarship program launched in 2011, focused on facilitating a positive flight training experience that would encourage student pilots to achieve their goals. By helping to produce new pilots, the scholarship program also strives to ensure general aviation's future, with scholarship recipients serving as ambassadors for GA and flight training on a grass-roots level.

About AOPA

Since 1939, AOPA has protected the freedom to fly by creating an environment that gives people of all ages the opportunity to enjoy aviation and all it has to offer. As the world's largest community of pilots and aviation enthusiasts with representatives based in Frederick, Md., Washington, D.C., Wichita, Kans., and seven regions across the United States, AOPA's events, initiatives, and services bring current and future pilots together and make aviation more accessible to everyone. To learn more, visit www.aopa.org.