Wings Alliance is pleased to announce the winner of its BWPA (British Women Pilots’ Association) Scholarship.
The lucky recipient of this year’s scholarship is Pernia Zeb, who dazzled the BWPA judges with her application.
The scholarship covers the complete cost of the Wings Alliance Airline Pilot Assessment (normally £295), which puts candidates through a series of tests, focussing on the core skills needed to become a commercial pilot. It includes problem solving tasks and a competency-based interview.
Rod Wren, director of Wings Alliance, said “I’m pleased to see a strong field of women pilots applying for the scholarship, and delighted to welcome Pernia to Wings Alliance to start the next stage of her pilot training.”
Pernia, who holds a degree in Air Transport and Private Piloting said “My initial aim is to become a highly skilled female pilot in a sector which requires more female pilots to come forward. Being fortunate enough to speak to experienced pilots over the years, my aim is to use this time wisely in building my hours. I want to gain exposure to different air space procedures; I want to fly to different airfields using my PPL across Europe and develop my existing knowledge, which can only be learned first-hand.
“During this pandemic I have been using ITS Academy to partake in webinars. This allows us females to communicate and share our possible problems or advice whilst we are all at different stages of our careers. This proved eye opening to myself and others, highlighting different encounters that we may be faced with, and helping us to reach our ultimate goal.
“If women pilots are not seen, it may be perceived as we’re not needed in this industry. We all have a role to play; this can be small scale, for example I was asked by my sixth form college to volunteer and share my experience of starting a role in aviation. Many people are unaware how to begin and I would encourage young females to pursue a future career in piloting.
“The pandemic hasn’t altered my plans in becoming a commercial pilot, in fact it has definitively given me more time to focus solely on the theory/ATPL exams and so it’s actually been encouraging. I always look at the positives and there’s always something to keep pilots busy!”
As a not for profit company, Wings Alliance aims to make cost-effective, quality training accessible to all, and helps introduce a level playing field for aspiring pilots who may not have otherwise been able to pursue their dreams due to financial constraints. It is proud to partner with BWPA for this scholarship and help introduce better gender equality in the world of aviation.
During the pandemic, most flying schools in Europe have had to delay or postpone flights for the majority of their students. However, now that government restrictions are beginning to ease, a number of Wings Alliance cadets are returning to training as normal.
Wings Alliance member Bristol Groundschool (BGS), where Pernia is already learning her ATPL theory, has remained open during the lockdown by transitioning to entirely online lesson delivery. Through their online webinars, web-based revision weeks and computer–based training program, students have managed to remain on track with their training and suffer minimal disruption.
