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.
Eligibility To be considered for the GALA Scholarship, you must:
We welcome applications from those interested in the following fields:
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 2026 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. 2025 / 26 Fall Winter Scholarship Window The Tampa Bay Aviation Association (TBAA) is proud to announce that the 2025/26 Fall & Winter GALA Scholarship Window will officially open on October 1, 2025 and close at 11:59 PM EST on January 15, 2026. This scholarship opportunity is designed to support and inspire the next generation of aviators, honoring the legacy of women who have shaped aviation history while empowering those who will carry it forward. Applicants selected as winners will be notified by March 1, 2026, and awards will be presented at the annual GALA fundraiser on Friday, March 13, 2026—a signature event celebrating aviation excellence and community impact. Don’t miss your chance to apply for this life-changing opportunity and join a tradition that uplifts and fuels the dreams of tomorrow’s aviation leaders. 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. Full details are in the application, which can be downloaded here.
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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 1947. 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 1947 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.