Inconsistencies in Aviation

[Thedude]

I just received my lateesed issue of Aviation Career magazine that is published by the friendly folk at AEPS. As I was thumbing through this month’s copy, I was more than surprised to see the winners of the AEPS scholarship program. THEY ARE ALL FEMALE. Hmmm a little odd.

 

[English]

The women you saw in the magazine were finalists, not winners. The scholarship was offered through Women In Aviation. There were only 35 applicants. The question you should be asking is, how many of the applicants were men?

 

[flydog]

I thought that was supposed to be the AEPS swimsuit issue

 

[publisher]

Scholarship

Actually there were no men who submitted applications. They certainly were not precluded, however, it was through the WIA that it is awarded.

There were some $622,000 in awards I believe.

By the way Flydog, we did not have the pictures until the last group was chosen.

It was my pleasure to be on stage for the awarding of the scholarship at a luncheon put on by Northwest Airlines who flew in the winner, Susan Reynolds.

I should have known that the skeptics on this board would have found some negative comment on it.

 

[ksu_aviator]

Soap Box

Of course there would be negative comments. Many of us "evil white males" are getting fed up with goverment sanctioned racism and sexism. Its one thing to have someone discriminate against you because of your race or sex, but for the most part those offenses are prosecutable. If you are a white male, you don't have that luxury. In fact, if someone discriminates against us, many people celebrate it and the government rewards business for doing it. Only recently have "reverse discrimination" suites been sucessful. Even the name "reverse discrimination" implies that white men are being discriminated against but they where probably guilty of it too. Look up the McDonalds thread and you'll see just how everyone felt about it.

Negative comments on this subject are not only correct but they need to be voiced.

 

[English]

Where is the discrimination here? NOT A SINGLE GUY applied for the scholarships...how can you win if you don't apply? HELLO!!

 

[Timebuilder]

Scholarship, you say?

This is a topic about which I have recent experience.

At VFMA, we had a good number of scholarship students during the sixties. These cadets were some talented, hard working individuals. The word scholarship meant that you were acheiving academic excellence, and were granted reduced tuition payments, or in some cases, no tuition payments at all. Sometimes your tuition was paid out of a fund, sometimes it was a generous alumni. It was a system that rewarded hard work and achievment.

I didn't qualify for a scholarship, either financially or academically. I always thought that someday, I would qualify, somewhere.

I didn't finish college the first time around, at NYU in the early seventies. The world trade center was going up, and my interest in a degree in Film and Television was going down. Back in 1994, I decided to try again. Although I had spent much of the previous year on unemployment, I found that I had still earned too much money for a Pell Grant, but I also found that the inmates at Graterford Prison had all qualified, since they had earned almost nothing. This irked me, but it was nothing compared to what was to come.

I paid my tuition with almost every cent of money I had set aside. I worked very hard, and made the Dean's List, and came very close to a 4.0. Surely, I was elegible for a scholarship now.

Au, contraire. It seems that the meaning of the word "scholarship" had changed to "social engineering". It made no difference whatsoever that I was legally poor and had achieved excellence at college. I was the wrong color, the wrong gender, the wrong sexual preference, in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had no money left to continue.

A few years ago, the local college near my flight school decided to offer a degree in aviation. I was told that all manner of financial aid was available. The young official told me that there were loans and scholarships available, and that they could cover the cost of flying, too. What he didn't tell me was that he had no clue about how any of that might apply to ME. In a word, no. It didn't apply to me.

After setting aside a full time day job to pursue my aviation degree, and landing a 3.85 average, the situation was the same as before. I was just plain WRONG. No money, no interest. Actually there was interest. I'm still paying it on the student loan I had.

I saw academic requirements being waived, a daycare center at the college, and young wellfare mothers who had "D" grades in high school having their ENTIRE college cost being paid. They had only to maintain a "C" average, and the teachers were making sure that they made their "C". The money they were receiving was coming from taxes that I had paid at the full time job that I gave up to attend school.

So, when someone says "scholarship", I understand the meaning. It means that someone, or a whole group of someones, has an agenda that they wish to advance, but they don't want to be truthful about their methods of realizing their goals.

Now, when someone says scholarship, you will understand, too.


By the way, English, I don't remember any ads pointing out that men COULD apply. Did you see any? Do you think that they might have been counting on the natural assumption that most men would believe that a group called Women In Aviation would only be offering "scholarships" to WOMEN? Had I known, I would have applied. Of course, they probably discriminate against men over forty, too. I could be wrong, but my experience tells me otherwise.

 

[English]

The ads I saw advertising the scholarships were very clear that they were available to both men and women...check out www.wiai.org - that's the Women in Aviation website. The organization has always been vocal and proactive about inviting men to be members of the organization. In fact, I am a member of WIA. I attended the conference a few weeks ago, and men were encouraged to apply for the scholarships. Some guys seem to be embarassed about applying for a scholarship awarded under the auspices of a women's organization. What's the difference between that and a woman being awarded a scholarship through a men's organization? Free money is money,wherever it comes from.

Now that everyone knows, be sure to apply next year...think the deadline is in December...

 

[bobbysamd]

Unequal opportunity

Very good post, Timebuilder.

I believe that most of us live in America. Foreign readers, please bear with me. America means equal opportunity for all. Translated into plain English, everyone gets an equal chance. That means that everyone, no matter who or what they are, gets the same chance. That means that if one group or class of people are favored over others, then someone is being deprived of an equal chance. Some might describe this as discrimination. Others might describe it as reverse discrimination.

For those who are interested in the reverse discrimination point of view, take a look at Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978). This is the landmark Supreme Court case that struck down the University of California-Davis Medical School's race-based admissions program. You can find it at

http://oyez.nwu.edu/cases/cases.cgi?command=show&case_id=324.

Click the link and then click the FindLaw Written Opinions of the Court link.

The writing is legalese and turgid, but if you can decipher FARs, you can decipher this Supreme Court opinion. Enjoy!

 

[Timebuilder]

Thanks for the tip, English. Maybe there is a change in the weather. We'll see.

 

[English]

This was originally about the AEPS scholarship - I've copied the original posting below...no mention about women or men...



A.E.P.S. College Tuition Scholarship

A.E.P.S., Aviation Employee Placement Services, is offering a four-year tuition paid scholarship to a graduating high school senior who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in any aviation field. Applicants must be a high school senior or graduate working to save money for college. Scholarship will include tuition for four years at an accredited college or university approved by the A.E.P.S. Scholarship committee. It will not include flight fees; however, the applicant may be a flight major. Financial need must be addressed in the essay. Recipient must maintain a GPA of 3.0 (4.0) or higher in order to renew scholarship the following year. (Scholarship value–up to $15,000 per year)

 

[Bluto]

Revese discrimination

I have no doubt that there are countless cases of discrimination towards white males. It seems abundantly clear, however, that this is not one of those situations. No white males applied for the scholarship! In this case, the people who wanted the scholarship took the initiative, applied, and one was rewarded for it. What is unfair about this? In my opinion, no one is entitled to a scholarship. Some people get them, based on merit and/or need, some don't. I remeber being jealous of my friends in college who had major airline captain dads, or CFI brothers. I thought it wasn't fair. Maybe it wasn't, but it really doesn't matter. Jealousy didn't help me obtain anything. The only thing it would have done, I imagine, is made me feel justified if I had failed. Take responsibility for your success.

 

[Timebuilder]

I hear you. I've seen plenty that I could be "jealous" about.

My point was that the word "scholarship" now bears no resemblence to its original meaning. I think it was reasonable, even if not correct, to make a guess that WIA was providing money to the "W" in WIA. I would aslo imagine that a program run by the Gay Pilots Association would exclude straight men, so I have not writtten to them about a scholarship, either.

Certainly this is a learning experience about the danger of "assuming", and I will be on that WIA program like a cheap suit. Do you think that I can write an essay? Yer dern tootin'....

 

[Dep676]

Great Post

Hey Timebuilder great post.

I to had to put myself through college. First our lovely president at the time Clinton. He raised the age to 23 for your parents to be responsible for you. Unless you were married. So I couldn't get any $$$$$. Then I was working full-time and made to much according to the government. But hey my classes were full of welfare breeders going for free on my tax $$$$$ among everybody elses money. And yet they would repeat the class over again because they were to lazy to show up or study. So guess what while I was paying for me and them to go. I got to do pay it all over again for them and other lazy creatures out there to go. Which is good that they are trying to go to school and better themselves. But not showing up or passing is that really trying to better themselves.

 

[A1FlyBoy]

http://www.wiai.org/

The opening page <above link> is one of the most obnoxious I've seen in recent times. I realize it is a "womans" organization, but one doesn't even need to FOCUS at the screen... you'd still be able to make out WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN .... almost every other word.

 

[A1FlyBoy]

Hmm... perhaps men would join WIA just to qualify to have a shot at the scholarship. Being a member IS a requirement.


Submission Requirements

Each applicant must be a WAI member and may apply for no more than two scholarships. These requirements are in addition to all stated specifications in individual listings.

All applications must include five (5) stapled sets (NO FOLDERS) of the following information:

application form
three one-page recommendation letters
typed, descriptive 500-word essay
resume
copies of all aviation licenses and medical certificates and last three pages of your pilot logbook, if applicable
Descriptive essay or resume should address the following:

your aviation history and goals
what you have done for yourself to achieve your goals–where you see yourself in five and ten years
how the scholarship will help you achieve your objective and your present financial need
flight or other training/education for which you need assistance; how your previous training was financed; educational scholarships, awards and honors; where you would obtain the training and the hourly rate for the instructor, aircraft, and simulators, or other costs, if applying for cash scholarship
demonstrated involvement in aviation activities
other applicable information as requested for specific awards/ grants/scholarships
International applicants must meet the above requirements. In addition, you must include your country’s pilot, mechanic or other requirements and the equivalent copies of licenses and medicals.

Selection Factors

Achievements
Attitude toward self and others
Commitment to success
Dedication to career
Financial need
Motivation
Reliability
Responsibility
Teamwork
Download the Official Scholarship Application (pdf)

Applications must be mailed to:

Women in Aviation, International Scholarship
P.O. Box 11287
Daytona Beach, FL 32120-1287