Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), a leader in upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT), is encouraging current pilots in training or recent graduates to apply for the 2021 UPRT Scholarship. Each year, APS awards one Professional Pilot Upset Training Course, involving three days and four flights covering five missions, to a deserving pilot starting their professional aviation career. Pilots should apply by 1 April.

The Professional Pilot Upset Training Course provides new and seasoned pilots with intense academic and on-aircraft training focused on mitigating the risk of loss of control In-flight (LOC-I), the number one cause of fatalities in all categories of civil aviation. The goal of training is to prevent an upset situation from occurring in the first place, and research has shown that practising recovery techniques not only gives pilots the often counter-intuitive skills necessary to recover should an upset develop, but also increases pilots' ability to recognise and prevent a developing situation before it becomes a problem. Additionally, UPRT rapidly develops manual handling skills and improves overall airmanship.

“The annual APS scholarship programme is dedicated to supporting the aviation industry as well as APS' purpose: We Help Pilots Bring Everyone Home Safely,” says Paul Ransbury, president of APS. “UPRT saves lives, and it is our privilege to train an up and coming pilot with skills that can empower them to be the best pilot they can be and mitigate the risk of loss of control In-flight, the single greatest cause of aviation-related fatalities, to which new pilots can be particularly susceptible.”

To be considered for the 2021 APS Upset Recovery Training Scholarship, a prospective recipient must be a current student or recent graduate of an aviation college or university aerospace programme. The winner will be selected based on their overall GPA, flight ratings/certificates, flight experience, letters of recommendation and a personal essay.