Nancy Stratford Student Pilot Flight Training Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by San Diego Chapter of the Ninety-Nines
On September 19th, 1946, the San Diego chapter was officially established. Initially, members residing in the region were part of the Los Angeles chapter, but they chose to create a local chapter in the southern region. The inaugural meeting of the San Diego Ninety-Nines took place on a dirt strip near Sweetwater/Otay Mesa. The chapter was initially composed of ten 99s, but as the membership expanded, some members in the 1970s established the El Cajon Valley chapter. Later in the 1980s, another group formed the Mission Bay chapter to have a chapter closer to their county area.
Fran Bera, the revered matriarch of our chapter, had an impressive aviation career spanning over seven decades. She accumulated more than 25,000 flight hours before her passing in February 2018 at the age of 93.
Fran's journey into aviation began in Grand Rapids, Michigan, when she was just 16. She managed to fund her after-school flying lessons by saving money she had accumulated over four years from skipping lunch. With $80 in her pocket, she walked into a flight school and declared her ambition to become a pilot.
Her parents were oblivious to her aviation pursuits until she required their approval for her solo flight. They were taken aback but nonetheless supportive. This marked the beginning of her illustrious 75-year career in aviation. Over the years, she clocked over 25,000 flight hours, which included ferrying surplus aircraft post-war, flight instructing, operating her own flight school, and serving as an Experimental test pilot.
Nancy Stratford Student Pilot Flight Training Scholarship
This scholarship offers a $2,000 award to assist with flight training. The eligibility criteria are as follows: the applicant must be a female residing in San Diego County, possess a current student medical for PPL award, and either have a passing score on the written test or have completed a solo flight. The funds can be used to support Private Pilot training. Recipients have a 90-day window to apply the funds towards their training.
Go to Scholarship Application