Helicentre Aviation Funds Largest Scholarship Program to Date

Helicentre Aviation Academy has announced its 2022 scholarship initiative - the largest since the programme began in 2012.  The £250,000 scholarship fund will assist prospective integrated and modular trainee helicopter pilots to fast-track their careers and will continue to provide professional helicopter pilots to the UK crew supply chain. The scholarships, bursaries and part-sponsored places will all be awarded by Summer 2022.

The application window has opened for prospective integrated students to apply for up to £10,000 to part-sponsor their place on the September 2021 or January 2022 Integrated CPL(H) (Commercial Pilot Licence - Helicopter) courses with ATPL(H)/IR TK (Theoretical Knowledge). The full-time, 12-month programme is a fast-track route to becoming a professional helicopter pilot, and it is the only integrated CPL course for helicopters approved in the UK, says Helicentre.

Sixteen part-sponsored integrated CPL(H) places will be offered until 15 August, totalling £100,000. These will consist of four places, each with £10,000 of part-sponsorship, and 12 places each receiving £5,000. Successful candidates will be notified before the end of August.

For modular students, a further £150,000 worth of scholarships and bursaries will be awarded consisting of one modular CPL(H) scholarship worth up to £55,000, and a “Bristow” CPL(H) scholarship offering a £15,000 modular CPL(H) course paid for by Helicentre with mentorship by Bristow. This will be awarded to one candidate who shows promise in an Oil and Gas career pathway. A fully-sponsored flight instructor course worth £20,000 will also be awarded a full-time FI(H) position on completion, and for ab-initio students, bursaries towards the PPL(H) modular course will be available totalling £60,000.

Head of Training, Captain Sarah Bowen explained why the company has decided to invest so much in the future pilot workforce this year: “It has become really apparent, especially recently that there is a huge lack of awareness about helicopter careers as a whole. So many people choose fixed-wing careers because they don’t think opportunities exist in the helicopter industry, or they believe it is more expensive. With the demographic of an ageing helicopter pilot workforce, and a sector of aviation that has been on the whole resilient through COVID-19, our goal is to raise awareness and give more applicants opportunities for part-sponsorship. This could well be the opportunity someone needs to start their life-long career as a helicopter pilot.”