The Doug Doty Vertical Flight Foundation is now accepting applications for their Electronic News Gathering (ENG) Scholarship.

This ENG Scholarship covers the cost of the ground and flight portion of a two day weekend course that will prepare a Robinson R44 pilot for the rigors of flying for the purpose of news gathering from a helicopter.  The course is designed to prepare the aspiring ENG pilot for the television news environment, so that he/she can show superior knowledge and understanding of an operating news room, as well as proficiency in flying a news mission, to a potential employer.

The Doug Doty Vertical Flight Foundation is working with Johnny Rowlands, veteran helicopter pilot/reporter for KMBC-TV’s NewsChopper 9 in Kansas City,  and owner of KC Copters based out of Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe, Kansas.  Rowlands has been flying traffic and breaking news for over 18 years, but is best known for his ground breaking live coverage of tornado touchdowns in and around the Kansas City area.  With his vast experience in both the broadcast and aviation industries, he brings a level of expertise and real world experience that will give the graduates of this ENG course a huge advantage over other candidates seeking jobs in this very specialized industry.

More information may be found on their website www.verticalflight.org.