The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. is proud to announce that a record-breaking number of 28 scholarships will be awarded to deserving female aviators in 2016, setting the bar for the entire helicopter industry.

Last year, with the generous support from aviation companies – including Agricultural Air Services, Air Evac Lifeteam, Airbus Helicopters, Inc., Aviation Specialties Unlimited, Inc., Bell Helicopter, Erickson Incorporated, FlightSafety International Inc., Robinson Helicopter Company, Survival Systems USA, Inc., Western Helicopters Inc., and Helicopter Association International (HAI) – the Whirly-Girls awarded a record breaking number of 14 scholarships at their 60th Diamond Anniversary Celebration during HAI’s Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida.

This year, joining the ranks of prestigious scholarship sponsors for the 2016 scholarship season are Guidance Aviation, Bristow Group, Oregon Aero, Inc., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Antipodean Aviation.

“It has truly been an incredible year and we are so pleased with how quickly the scholarship program has grown,” says Colleen Chen, Vice President of Scholarships.  “With the support and generosity of these amazing companies, our scholarship program has doubled in the last year.  We now offer a spectrum of 28 diverse scholarship opportunities to our members.  These scholarships can not only change the lives of the recipients, but also encourage other women to pursue careers in the helicopter industry.  In the long term we hope these scholarships will not only allow awardees to pursue their career goals and dreams, but also inspire them to give back.”

The scholarships will be awarded at Hilton Garden Inn in Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday, February 28 at 6:30 pm during their Annual Awards Banquet.  For more information, please visit www.whirlygirls.org.

Whirly-Girls International is a non-profit, educational, and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in the helicopter aviation industry.  The Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund, Inc. (“WGSF”) was incorporated in 1974 to oversee and administer the scholarship funds raised by the Whirly-Girls and their Auxiliaries, and is a federally tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.  Initiated in 1968, the scholarship program has grown from a single $500 scholarship to a wide range of training and development scholarships valued in excess of $150,000.For more information on Whirly-Girls International and Whirly-Girls scholarships, please visit www.whirlygirls.org or contact Colleen Chen at wgvpsch@whirlygirls.org