Several rotorcraft organizations are offering or supporting scholarship programs this week at Heli-Expo 2024. VAI and the Jeff Pino Foundation are sponsoring the attendance of 150 area high school students on Thursday at Heli-Expo. STEM students from schools including Canyon, Corona, and the Bonita Unified School District are invited.
“Attending Heli-Expo is a transformative experience for these students, offering them a chance to engage with industry leaders, speak directly to OEMs and their suppliers, and gain valuable insights into the rotorcraft industry,” said Greg Brown, VAI director of education and training services. “This experience goes beyond classrooms and textbooks, providing them with hands-on encounters with the latest innovations, technologies, and industry experts.”
Separately, Erickson and Volo Mission are marking $100,000 in external load training scholarships to Whirly-Girls International. Whirly-Girls notes that women represent an estimated 10 percent of pilots, and access to additional training opportunities for them is limited. Scholarship recipients will undergo 10 days of long-line operations training at Volo Mission, a provider of long-line and aerial firefighting training.