Holly Cron, winner of the Avfuel AVTRIP scholarship. Credit: Avfuel
Avfuel announced winners of its 26th AVTRIP and Avfuel Pilot-in-Training scholarship awards today (March 5). In total, the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global fuel supplier gave out $4,500 in aviation scholarships as part of the 2024 application year.
Holly Cron, Spring, Texas received the $2,000 AVTRIP award. Cron has returned to flying after a 15-year stint as an air traffic controller. According to Avfuel, she recognized the need for better pilot-controller communcations and launched her own pilot outreach program, volunteering to address flight schools, flight organizations, and corporations about the importance of clear, concise communications. Cron said, “I could not be more thankful for this scholarship toward my multi-engine rating, and I’m looking forward to using my newly gained knowledge to help pilots who may encounter problems while flying, and to further expand my ATC pilot outreach capabilities.”
Britney Howard was awarded Avfuel’s $1,000 Pilot-in-Training scholarship. She shifted career paths to aviation from photography after a chance meeting with a client who was a light aircraft pilot. Howard said, “I began my journey in aviation a bit unconventially, as I already had a fully developed career, a husband, and four young children. This is a huge encouragement to me both financially and emotionally. It is acts of kindness and encouragement like this – people willing to give me time, money, scholarships – that keep people like me moving forward on the path to being a professional aviator.”
The third scholarship recipient, Kenny Melis of New York, NY, took home $1,500 to fulfill a lifelong passion for aviation inspired by his mother. His goas include becoming an airline pilot and possibly launching his own charter operation or small airline.
Applications for the next AVTRIP and Avfuel Pilot-in-Training Scholarships are now available online through September 4, 2025.
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