We give the following awards to honor the women who have been a part of our Ninety-Nines flying history, and to inspire us all to continue in the great tradition and spirit of this group.
Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Ninety-Nines Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund (AEMSF) was established in 1940 to help members attain specific and realistic goals in their advancement toward aviation/aerospace accomplishments.
These goals may qualify for or further an aviation-related profession or charitable cause. Financial need must be demonstrated in order to progress toward a goal. (The Vicki Cruse Scholarship is excluded from this requirement.) One pilot training course, certificate or rating can be applied for at a time. The Fund is intended to extend opportunities to as many members as possible, although current or past scholarship winners may submit application for any scholarship or award for which they are eligible, and may be awarded scholarships in consecutive years.
How To Apply:
Complete details and eligibility requirements can be obtained at www.Ninety-Nines.org.
Past Recipients of the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund:
| 2023: | Stacy Uebelhor |
Greater Seattle chapter, Multi-Engine add on |
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| 2023: | Jing Suo |
Central Oregon High Desert chapter, Vicki Cruse Emergency Training |
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| 2021: | Meredith Datena |
Columbia Cascade chapter, Multi-Engine add on |
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| 2020: | Autumn Eels |
Oregon Pines chapter, Aviation Maintenance Technician, Associate's |
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| 2020: | Jiah Sims |
Columbia Cascade chapter, Multi-Engine add on |
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| 2020: | Magali Lewis |
Columbia Cascade chapter, Citation 525(s) type rating |
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| 2018: | Julie Lyn Baker |
Greater Seattle chapter, Academic |
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| 2018: | Sheryl Fisher |
Columbia Cascade chapter, CFI |
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| 2018: | Laura Lloyd |
Columbia Cascade chapter, Multi-Engine rating |
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| 2018: | Ashley Taylor |
Idaho chapter, Commercial |
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| 2017: | Sheri (Sharki) Kontra |
Idaho Chapter, Multi-engine |
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| 2017: | Tosha Cypher |
| Mat-Su Valley Chapter, CFI helicopter | |
| 2017: | Alana Erickson |
| Idaho Chapter, ME Commercial add-on |
Fran Bera Private Pilot Scholarship
Offered by the San Diego 99s, the Fran Bera Private Pilot Scholarship will award $12,000 to a Student Pilot member of the 99s who is working on her PPL in the United States.
How To Apply:
Deadline: December 7
Access the application on the San Diego 99s scholarship webpage
Greater Seattle 99s Scholarships
The Greater Seattle chapter of the Ninety-Nines currently offers the Nancy K. Jensen Memorial Scholarship and the Advanced Ratings Scholarship.
How To Apply:
See the chapter's Scholarships page (www.seattle99s.org/scholarships) for full details, application forms, and a link to a webinar by chapter scholarship chair Mollie Warren about scholarship application tips.
Mount Tahoma Scholarship
Mount Tahoma Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, Washington, offers a scholarship of $1000 given out as funds are available. The aim is to support women pilots in their continued pursuit of aeronautical skills, both professionally and recreationally. Any Ninety-Nine member is eligible for this scholarship who is seeking to increase proficiency or regain currency by adding a new rating or certificate by participating in a defined training activity, e.g. instrument training, seaplane, tailwheel, mountain flying, aerobatics. The Mount Tahoma Scholarship is available to student pilots for initial flight training in obtaining their private pilot certificate.
How To Apply:
The application due date is April 1, 2023, and the award will be announced on May 1, 2023. Training must be complete by June of the year following the award presentation. Please read and follow the full instructions in the application. Work with your chapter's scholarship chair to create the best application package possible. Note: The essay is strictly limited to 500 words. All information is to be submitted to Laura Burkig and Sara Shapiro, scholarship committee, via the email addresses listed on the application.
Mount Tahoma Scholarship Application
Mountain Flying/Backcountry Scholarship
This was a one-time scholarship. The Northwest Section donated the money for this scholarship in the name of the Montana Chapter to honor them for their great job hosting the 2013 International 99s conference in Bozeman.
Past Recipient of the Mountain Flying/Backcountry Scholarship:
| 2015: | Cindy Fritz |
| Cindy is active in the Idaho Aviation Association's efforts to maintain backcountry airstrips. |
Northwest Section Scholarship
The Northwest Section Scholarship fund was created in 2013 from funds that the Section held in investment accounts. The scholarship is awarded annually for $1,000 or the amount requested, whichever is less. Examples are flight review, emergency maneuver training, ground school, components of student pilot training, floatplane rating, instrument proficiency check, or tailwheel instruction. Scholarship monies can be applied toward aviation expenses greater than $1,000, such as an additional rating or course of study, if the applicant clearly states there are sufficient funds from other sources to complete her training.
How To Apply:
Announcing: the application period is open! The Northwest Section Scholarship 2023 application due date is February 28, 2023, and the award will be announced at the Spring Board of Directors Meeting on April 15, 2023. Please read the full instructions as well as the "Tips for Applying for the Northwest Section Scholarship" available on this website's 99s Fly! blog. Work with your chapter's scholarship chair to create the best application package possible. Note: The essay is now strictly limited to 500 words. Your package must include a recommendation letter from your chapter chairman and supporting information listed in the instructions page of the application below. All information is to be submitted in one file to the NW Section Scholarship Chair, Teresa Bubb, nwsectionscholarship@gmail.com. Questions, contact Teresa Bubb at nwsectionscholarship@gmail.com.
Northwest Section Scholarship Application
Past Recipients of the Northwest Section Scholarship:
| 2023: | Stacy Uebelhor |
Stacy, past chair of the Greater Seattle 99s, plans to use the scholarship toward her CFI rating. |
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| 2022: | Jenna Breen |
Jenna, a Greater Seattle 99s chapter member, will use her award towards her Commercial rating. |
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| 2021: | Sheri (Sharki) Kontra |
Sharki of Idaho chapter plans to use the scholarship to pay for her CFII. Before she completed her private pilot license, chapter member Sherry Kandle interviewed her. |
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| 2020: | Mandy Schmidt |
Mandy, a Columbia Cascade chapter member, trained for and completed her private pilot license. |
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| 2019: | Karen Didisse |
Karen Didisse of Idaho Chapter trained for and received her private pilot license. |
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| 2018: | Cindy Repp |
Cindy Repp of Intermountain Chapter will fly her initial cross country flight for the private certificate. |
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| 2018: | Cindy Fritz |
Cindy Fritz of the Idaho Chapter will train for her instrument rating. |
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| 2017: | Candyce Goudey |
| Candyce Goudey of the Intermountain Chapter will train for her CFI rating. | |
| 2017: | Laura Lloyd |
Laura Lloyd of Columbia Cascade Chapter used her scholarship for an instrument rating. She achieved this on September 15, 2017 and is still going strong: on October 25, 2017 Laura earned her commercial certificate! |
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| 2016: | Li Yang |
Li Yang of the Columbia Cascade chapter planned to use her scholarship for floatplane training. She currently flies for SkyWest and actively mentors other pilots. |
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| 2016: | Miranda Edwards |
| Miranda Edwards of the Montana chapter used her scholarship for training for her instrument rating. | |
| 2015: | Vanessa Nelson |
| Vanessa Nelson of the Oregon Pines chapter was the recipient of our first Northwest Section Scholarship. She flies the J3 Cub that belonged to her dad, which she restored in 2011. Vanessa will use her scholarship for skiplane instruction. |
Patty Mitchell Memorial Scholarship
Patty worked as a substitute teacher to pay for flying lessons. After quickly earning her private, commercial, instrument, and CFI certificates, she became one of Montana’s first smokejumper pilots. Later, she flew charters and borrowed money to earn a type rating on a Citation. She interviewed in 1987-88 with several airlines and ran into gender discrimination barriers, but kept trying. Finally, she was hired by United Airlines in 1988 on the basis of her “thinking out of the box” during communication emergencies. She was one of 200 women out of 8500 pilots. Discrimination and harassment made it difficult, but she never gave up. She flew 727s, eventually earning a type rating in the 747, which she loved to fly. Patty retired from United at age 60. She continued flying, instructing, and mentoring, and was an aviation friend, leader, and active member of the 99s until her passing in 2021.
The purpose of this annual scholarship is to support women pilots in the continued pursuit of aeronautical skills, both professionally and recreationally.
- It is open to any NW Section Ninety-Nines member seeking to increase proficiency or regain currency by adding a new rating or certificate.
- This scholarship IS available to student pilots for initial flight training in obtaining their private pilot certificate.
See the application for more details.
How To Apply:
The 2024 Patty Mitchell Memorial Scholarhship application period opens May 1. The application due date is June 1, 2024, and the award will be announced on July 1, 2024. Training must be complete by one year later. Please read and follow the full instructions in the application. Work with your chapter's scholarship chair to create the best application package possible. Note: The essay is strictly limited to 500 words. All information is to be submitted to the NW Section Scholarship Chair, Teresa Bubb, nwsectionscholarship@gmail.com.
Patty Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Application
Past Recipients of the Patty Mitchell Memorial Scholarship:
| 2023: | Gina Wilke |
Gina Wilke is a student pilot member of the Columbia Cascade chapter. She says: "It is with a heart of gratitude that I accept the Patty Mitchell Scholarship Fund to complete my Private Pilot License, which I began in April. I expect to finish my training in September. I am working at a good pace, training three times a week. I plan to use my scholarship winnings to pay for my lessons over the next week or two." |
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| 2022: | Boo Carter |
Boo Carter has been a member of the Idaho Chapter of the 99s since late 2017. After receiving this year's Patty Mitchell Memorial Scholarship, she signed up with Silverhwawk Aviation in Caldwell, Idaho (KEUL) to get her CFI rating. She had taken all the CFI tests during the Covid shutdown in 2020, but they have expired and she will start over again. Since this is a school, she says, "I can go as fast as my life will allow." |
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