One very accomplished student enrolled in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Helicopter Specialty degree program will be even more prepared to enter the helicopter industry when they graduate.  MD Helicopters generously donated an MD 500 Transition Scholarship to students from the Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Science Rotary-Wing program.  The transition course takes five days and is valued at  approximately $10,000.

The scholarship application criterion is limited to students holding a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and a Helicopter Certified Flight Instructor rating by May 1st, 2013.   The application also requires 2 letters of recommendation as well as an essay describing the importance of a Certified Flight Instructor and what aspect of the industry they saw themselves in the future.

According to MD Chief Pilot Jay Wigginton and MD Instructor/ Production Pilot Rappoport, “Last year’s scholarship was our first experience with the difficulties in selecting a winner.  We knew Embry Riddle would provide impressive applicants, but what we were not prepared for was the level of difficulty in picking the top candidate.”  Rappoport indicated, “The students essays were particularly interesting and students with good writing skills clearly stood out in the selection process”.  In fact, Lyn Burks, Editor in Chief for Rotorcraft Professional Magazine, selected two of last year’s essays for publication.  Assistant Professor Bryan Cox, who teaches the advanced helicopter courses at ERAU, facilitates the application process by collecting all of the packets and forwarding them to MD Helicopters.  Cox stated, “As the facilitator for this particular scholarship, I do not write any letters of recommendations for the students but instead act as a champion to ensure all eligible students apply. My part is easy; it’s the folks at MD that have the difficult task of selecting the top candidate”  Stay tuned for the announcement of this year’s winner in December.

For more information on Embry-Riddle’s Aeronautical Science, Professional Pilot Helicopter Flight program visit http://prescott.erau.edu  or email:  pradmissions@erau.edu or contact the Admissions Office at (800) 888-3728.

MD Helicopters, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of commercial and military helicopters. The  MDHI family of rotorcraft is world renowned for its value, versatility and performance. The  MD Helicopters, Inc.  family includes the twin-engine MD Explorer®, and single engine versions of  the MD 600N®, MD 520N®, MD 500E® and MD 530F®. The NOTAR® system for antitorque control is used exclusively by MD Helicopters. The Company is based in Mesa, AZ. For more information about MDHI visit http://www.mdhelicopters.com

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master’s, and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities, and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu