Pilot course application essay / cover letter

Reading time: 3 minutes
Price: Free download
Published: 19th July 2019
Word count: 632 words
File format: Text

My name is Sergeant Jxxxxxxx Txxx and I have been a member of xxx Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron for the past five years. I am writing this narrative to express my interest in the Glider Pilot Scholarship. I believe that this course offers Cadets a unique opportunity to explore the many aspects of the aviation field and I believe that I am a very capable candidate to attend. When I was thirteen years old, l joined the Air Cadet program hoping to make friends as well as that I would have the opportunity to become a pilot or at least, learn about aviation.

During my first summer training opportunity, I went to the Basic Aviation Course at TCTC, where I learned more about the fundamentals of aviation, as well as experience flight in an open cockpit power plane with the Vintage Wings of Canada organization. In the following summer, attended the Advanced Aviation Course at TCTC, where I continued studying aviation and acquired a Restricted Operator Certificate with Aeronautical Qualification. This year, I began attending ground-school classes and I will write my glider exam for the first time this year. Ever since I joined Air Cadets, I became interested in flight and how planes worked, as well as how to operate them. My senior cadets, who have already aged out, had their glider pilot licenses and they took me up flying. I loved the experience and I know that I want to be a pilot because of this. I have always wanted to fly a glider and glide through the sky. I enjoyed learning about flying in all my ground school classes at my home squadron. My senior cadets have expressed to me how much they loved their Gliding Summer Camp experience and I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to attend this course as well.

I am very involved in my squadron and participate in the marksmanship team. I also do very well in school and attend other extracurriculars besides cadets. I play badminton and basketball recreationally. I believe that participating in team activities helps me to become a better leader and to learn how to work with people. I absolutely love going gliding. I love watching all the gliders take off and land and one day I hope I will be the next one from my squadron to attain a license

I believe that as a pilot it is an important skill to learn all the areas within the flying field. I believe that the Glider pilot course will be beneficial to me as I think that this course will help me along my way to get my Power Pilot’s license. In addition, as I will be an instructor at my squadron next year, and I believe attending this course will help me to teach the aviation classes with much more detail when I teach them next year. It will also benefit the other cadets in my squadron because I will be able to pass on some of the experiences that I had and I can encourage other cadets to apply for this and other aviation- related courses. Another benefit to my squadron is that we will have a cadet who does possess a glider license, who has not aged out, which would mean that I could take my junior cadets up in gliders, as my seniors have done for me.

The Air Cadet Programme has taught me so much and I would like to give back to my fellow cadets. I am sincerely looking forward to attending this course and I believe that many of my experiences, both extracurricular and in the cadet program have prepared me for the challenge. I believe that my application expresses my interest and my ability to be successful.

Sincerely,

Sergeant Jxxxxxxx Txxx

23.11.2018

Why this example works — strengths and ways to improve

This is a sincere, well-grounded scholarship narrative with a clear progression through cadet aviation courses and a compelling purpose: becoming a licensed glider pilot who can fly juniors. Its weaknesses are repetition, generic claims about leadership and school, and limited reflection on what flying or training actually taught you. Tightening language and deepening a few moments would sharpen it considerably.

Subject motivation

My senior cadets, who have already aged out, had their glider pilot licenses and they took me up flying

This is your most convincing motivation because it is concrete and personal. However, lines like wanting to glide through the sky stay general. Describing one specific moment from that flight, or what surprised you about it, would show why gliding in particular matters to you.

Academic preparation

I began attending ground-school classes and I will write my glider exam

The sequence of Basic and Advanced Aviation Courses, a radio certificate and ground school shows genuine, stage-appropriate preparation. You list these well but rarely say what you learned in them, such as a principle of flight or meteorology that clicked. One such detail would turn credentials into demonstrated understanding.

Evidence and reflection

participating in team activities helps me to become a better leader

This is a generic skill claim with no example behind it. Marksmanship, badminton and basketball are perfectly good evidence, but you need to show one situation where you led, cooperated or improved. Otherwise readers cannot distinguish your reflection from a standard phrase.

Relevant experience

I will be an instructor at my squadron next year

Your upcoming instructor role is highly relevant and gives the scholarship a clear purpose beyond yourself. Linking it to the course is logical, not forced. You could strengthen it by mentioning any teaching or mentoring you have already done, which would make the plan more credible.

Credibility and voice

I would like to give back to my fellow cadets

Your voice feels honest and plausible for a five-year cadet, and the wish to fly juniors as seniors did for you is believable and appealing. The frequent use of "I believe" and "I love" weakens authority, though; let the evidence carry the conviction instead.

Structure and format

I absolutely love going gliding. I love watching all the gliders take off

The overall order of background, experience, benefits and close works for a scholarship letter. However, passion statements are scattered and repeated across paragraphs, and this gliding enthusiasm sits awkwardly inside the extracurriculars section. Grouping motivation in one place and removing repetition would improve flow and economy.

What you’ve done well

A clear, credible progression from Basic Aviation Course through Advanced Aviation and ground school towards the glider exam.
A specific, community-minded rationale: becoming a licensed pilot who has not aged out so you can take junior cadets flying.

How this draft could improve

Replace generic claims about leadership and doing well in school with one brief, concrete example and what you learned from it.
Cut repeated phrases such as "I believe" and "I love", and use the space to describe one memorable flight or ground-school concept in detail.
Move the gliding enthusiasm out of the extracurriculars paragraph so each section has one clear focus.

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