VAI scholarship helps Evan Dennis finance dream of flying helicopters Discover how VAI scholarship recipients have turned opportunity into achievement—and how you can do the same—in this exclusive VAI Daily series. Are you ready to give your aviation education a boost? The VAI scholarship program is back for 2026, with scholarships available in aviation maintenance, commercial helicopter pilot ratings, and pilot safety. A benefit exclusively for VAI members, the scholarships help vertical aviation pilots, mechanics, engineers, and aspiring professionals cover the costs of their education and training. Not a VAI member? Join the association and enjoy access to the VAI scholarship program as well as a host of additional educational, safety, and other benefits. Then, learn more about the program and submit your application for a 2026 VAI scholarship by the submission deadline, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. As the submission deadline approaches, we’re featuring past VAI scholarship winners in a series of articles in VAI Daily. In this installment, we highlight Evan Dennis, 21, recipient of a 2025 Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating Scholarship. He describes how he first became interested in aviation, the challenges in becoming a helicopter pilot, and how the VAI scholarship is providing him with a career head start. VAI Daily: What inspires you about the idea of working within the vertical aviation community? Evan Dennis: When I originally decided to pursue a career as a helicopter pilot, I was mainly driven by the desire to fly helicopters. It matched my skills, strengths, and interests and sounded incredibly fun. As I’ve made my way through flight school, that interest has grown as I’ve acquired new skills and learned fascinating details about these impressive machines. Along with this natural interest, I’ve discovered an even more powerful motivator—the vertical aviation community is filled with so many people dedicated to safety, precision, improvement, and compassion. It’s a dream come true to be able to spend my career surrounded by these people. Who is your greatest mentor and why? I am fortunate to have many excellent mentors so far, but the person who started it all was my childhood best friend’s father, Phil Huth, who is a retired helicopter air ambulance pilot. He showed me that a career in aviation is not only possible, but also rewarding. He gave me his own kneeboard, and I am proud to use it every time I fly. What are your career goals? I’m currently working on my CFI certificate. I plan to get my CFII certificate as well, then start to work as a flight instructor shortly afterward. As the saying goes, “the best way to learn is to teach.” After teaching for a while, I want to start building up my turbine hours by flying helicopter air tours. There’s no specific path I’ve settled on past that. I’m drawn to helicopter air ambulance work but am also open to utility and firefighting operations down the line. There’s a lot of flying ahead of me, and I’m excited to expand my abilities and keep learning throughout my career. How has the VAI scholarship helped you meet your education goals? The VAI scholarship has been a tremendous help in my journey through flight school. I completed my training through the Portland [Oregon] Community College aviation science degree program, but aligning the college [schedule] with flight training proved impossible to do perfectly because of the inherent variables in aviation, such as weather, aircraft availability, and other factors. Without this scholarship, there would have been lengthy periods where I couldn’t fly at all, which would have required additional relearning and increased living expenses. Thanks to VAI’s support, I can confidently say that I’ll enter the industry as a working pilot sooner, giving me a valuable head start on my career. What do you view as the biggest challenges facing the vertical aviation profession? I can say for sure that no one decides to be a helicopter pilot because it’s easy. This career requires constant studying, practicing, and learning from others to be successful. Unfortunately, the part that holds so many people back is financial constraints. It’s no secret that vertical aviation is an expensive industry, which is why scholarships like this one are so vital to ensuring that enough people with a passion for flying can become the pilots that are so essential to the industry and the world.
