4 March 2011
The BMAA (British Microlight Aircraft Assoication) has announced its Young Persons’ Flying Bursary to promote microlighting to the younger generation.
The project will be run by, amongst others, Rob Grimwood, who started flying himself as part of a BMAA scholarship in 1997.
Rob now runs his own microlight school and is an instructor examiner.He has also won several world championships with the UK team, and his story is just the sort that the BMAA wants to replicate with the bursary.
“In terms of structure, we will be awarding funding for up to two full NPPL courses each year to selected candidates between the ages of 15 and 20 on the date of the award,” explained Rob.
“In order to qualify, they must show some history of an interest in microlighting and will be selected by an appointed panel. There will be some additional flying and ground based assessments to ensure we get exactly the right people.
“In short, the BMAA wants to harness those feelings and enthusiasm that we all had when we were leaning to fly. You remember it, surely: checking the weather for seven days ahead, shortly after landing from your previous week’s lesson; the huge disappointment when your instructor shook his head and said: ‘Not today’ and the times where you steadfastly refused to accept that it was bucketing down with rain, blowing 30kt across the runway and the airfield was waterlogged, but you still turned up at the airfield half expecting to go flying.
“I think pretty much every airfield has an enthusiastic youngster that shows up every weekend and is happy to clean, work and do pretty much anything to get a flight.
“Even just being given the opportunity to talk flying with those that have climbed the dizzy heights to attaining a licence is enough to keep up the weekend pilgrimage to the local airfield for some. It is exactly these people that the BMAA wishes to support to make the NPPL a little step closer and the next world champion a natural next progression.”
Application forms can be downloaded from the BMAA website, www.bmaa.org
You can apply on behalf of yourself or on behalf of someone else. Closing date for applications is the end of June.
The photo (left) shows a young Rob Grimwood in 1997 after being awarded the Gordon Stewart Bursary.
<a href=”http://www.bmaa.org”>Click here for more</a>
