Taking to the air for flying scholarships

The students, from schools in London, were taking part in the scheme organised by Boeing and The Air League which provided them with an intensive two week gliding course.

The course saw students being taught by experienced instructor pilots to fly solo in a glider.

Marking the achievement of the students, acelebration day was held at the London Gliding Club in Dunstable where the scholars were able to demonstrate their gliding skills on the third day of their training. They were joined by spokespeople from The Air League, British Airways, Boeing and Linklaters.

This is the fourth year Boeing has supported these Air League scholarships and shows the commitment by all involved to ensure social cohesion and equal opportunity for all.

These scholarships highlight the need to expand and diversify the skill set of young people, particularly from the inner cities, in order to secure future success.

Boeing is this year celebrating its centenary, marking 100 years of business with a wide range of activities and events. As the company embarks on its second century of possibilities, the emphasis lies with inspiring the next generation of students. The aim of this project is to increase accessibility to flying, to inspire young people to consider entering the aviation industry, and give opportunities to young people in all circumstances.

Boeing and The Air League worked with British Airways and Linklaters to run an assessment day and offer the scholarship programme to inner-city students.

The aim is to instil an interest in aviation in these young people, provide them with a unique life skill and open up potential future career paths. Aviation and aerospace are global strengths of the UK and, to maintain this for the future, inspiring more talented young people to work in this sector is crucial.