Commemorating a Milestone with an Opportunity

The Tampa Bay Aviation Association is excited to announce the opening of applications for the Girls Achieving Leadership in Aviation (GALA) Scholarship. This scholarship is dedicated to supporting young women who are passionate about pursuing careers in the aviation industry. Whether you are just beginning your journey or already making strides in your aviation career, we encourage you to apply.

Our inaugural GALA fundraising event held in March 2022 commemorated the 75th anniversary of the first All Woman Air Show hosted at Peter O. Knight Airport in 1949. The special celebration raised scholarship money for young women in the Tampa Bay area to pursue an education in aviation. Generous donations made by significant sponsors of the event were used to fund the scholarship. This annual event celebrates women in aviation past, present and future by continuing to raise funds each year for this important cause. The GALA Scholarship Fund is named after a local aviation trailblazer, Betty Skelton. Known as “The First Lady of Firsts”, she began her aviation career at Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF) in the 1940s. She flew aerobatics and raced at the first All Woman Air Show in 1949 to help raise awareness of women in aviation after WWII. She was an international aerobatics champion and later became a professional racecar driver for Chevrolet. Betty broke more aviation and automotive records than anyone else in history. Her biplane, “Little Stinker”, hangs in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.

Eligibility

To be considered for the GALA Scholarship, you must:

• Be between the ages of 16 and 20 at the time of application.
• Have a keen interest in or currently pursuing a career in aviation.
• Currently live or have a permanent address in the Tampa Bay Area * 

We welcome applications from those interested in the following fields:

• General Aviation Pilot Training**
• Professional (Commercial) Pilot Training**
• Aerospace Administration
• Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic
• Aerospace Engineering
• Aerospace Educator

Other career fields will be considered, so long as they are principally aviation related. Additionally, student pilots who are currently in flight training for any certificate are strongly encouraged to apply.

* For the purposes of this scholarship offering, the Tampa Bay Area includes: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Manatee, Polk, Citrus, Highlands, Hardee, and Sarasota Counties

** IMPORTANT: Please see the 2025 TBAA FTS Policies and Procedures document for full details on flight training scholarship eligibility.

Scholarship Awards

Scholarships of up to $10,000 each will be awarded. The number of scholarships and the amount awarded will depend on available funding and the number of qualified applicants.

The application window for the 2025 scholarships is March 7^th – June 30^th. Our committee will be conducting interviews with eligible candidates during the month of July, after which successful applicants will be notified by September 5th, 2024. Winners will be awarded at the 11th annual Girls in Aviation Day Event at Sheltair’s Tampa International Airport facility on September 20^th, 2025.

We are thrilled to support the next generation of female aviation leaders and look forward to receiving your application. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at galascholarship@tampaairport.com.

We are thrilled to support the next generation of female aviation leaders and look forward to receiving your application. Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at galascholarship@tampaairport.com.

Full details are in the application, which can be downloaded here.