Originally published at: Women in Aviation International Opens 2026 Scholarship Program - AVweb
More than $200,000 will be available.
Sounds discriminatory.
Discriminatory? Not even close.
WAI scholarships are open to all genders. You just need to be a member and support the mission of bringing more women into aviation. Simple.
Here’s why it still matters (FAA data, Dec 2024):
– Total women pilots: 91,694 → 10.8%
– Students: 15.9%
– Private: 8.9%
– Commercial: 10.0%
– ATP: 5.5%
– CFIs: 9.0%
– Drone pilots: 8.7%
Nobody’s getting left out, just more folks getting a fair shot. That’s what progress looks like.
How do they define “woman” ?
Maybe women just don’t want to be in aviation to satisfy your numbers game Raf. Did you ever think of that Raf?
You’re such a misandrist Raf…
Glad to hear the numbers of women pilots growing, however, student pilots are not truly pilots. Regardless of gender, large numbers of student pilots give up flying before earning their certificates. It is preferable to examine only the numbers of actual women pilots who are certified by the FAA.
WAI scholarships are open to all genders.
Yes, at least in theory. But a quick spot-check of their actual scholarship recipients suggests that ‘Y’ chromosomes had best stay home.
Fair enough, student pilots aren’t fully certified yet. But let’s not pretend they don’t count. They hold FAA-issued certificates. They may take ground school, get to solo, or complete on not their certification. They’re logging hours, making decisions, and building the foundation every certified pilot stands on.
The Student Pilot certificate is the official entry point into the pilot pipeline. No one skips it. Not the CFIs. Not the airline captains. Not the charter operators. Every one of them started as a student pilot.
They also fill the seats at flight schools, keep instructors flying, and keep the trade alive. Pull student pilots out of the equation and the system grinds down fast. Ask any CFI or FBO owner.
And let’s look at the bigger picture:
– In 2012, there were 26,854 women holding FAA pilot certificates
– By 2022, that number rose to 30,244 certified women pilots
– ATP numbers nearly doubled from ~4,200 to over 8,200
– Commercial and CFI numbers also jumped by 25–35%
That’s growth, not shrinkage—and it all started in the student ranks.
So yes, student pilot numbers matter, because they are the future, and right now, they’re trending in the right direction.