This week long clinic was conceived by Mary Latimer. Mary and her husband, Lawrence, serve as the head instructors of this academy, with her daughter Tamara Griffith and even granddaughter Amanda Griffith serving as instructors with other instructors also volunteering their time and knowledge. Check out our Meet The Staff page. We all instruct year round (Mary, Lawrence in Vernon, Tamara in Justin near DFW area, Amanda in Elk City) as well as have other flying or maintenance jobs we do. we held our first clinic in July of 2011. We took inspiration from WASP Women's Airforce Service Pilots program. While their classes started with women who were already pilots, It was still an all women class and training environment other than instructors and mechanics. We wondered if a similar plan would work and we formed Gift Academy and Gift Week which is one week of for the ladies only. It has been phenomenal response and growth ever since. We are not a formal academy. We are known for our part 61 style flight training, basically means we don't have strict syllabus or plan of action other than those requirements set by the FAA. We actually teach in the hangar surrounded by airplanes, white boards, and of course heaters and blankets and pillows. Feel free to bring you favorite chair cushion and dress in layers as we can never predict weather in texas and may have all ranges of temps in a day. the Flight line will be over at the airport main terminal and some of the advanced students may also be in that conference room for more focused ground school for their ratings. during the year most of the ground school will take place in the terminal. several porta potties will be placed around the training areas and fueling areas. again the ground school is not so rigid, so everyone takes a break when they need it, even go take a nap if need be. No attendance is taken, no demerits for being tardy, unless tardy for the flight line then might be just lose your place in line! Gift Academy Inc. also all teaches year round at normal costs and the GIFT aircraft are also available year round in Vernon, Texas.
What We Need Wanted Instructors to volunteer their time for a day, two days or the whole event. NEED! sponsors for our airplanes that were recently donated to GIFT, to offset the costs for GIFT Girls who train in, insurance, maintenance, parts, a new or overhauled engine for a C172 (Continental engine) and even headsets and hangar space. Every sponsor and major donation will be placarded onto the aircraft. Donations of all sort are welcome, charts, testing supplies, fuel, aircraft, housing, food/catering/donations, etc.(charts do not need to be current for study/training purposes). Even better is let us help your flight school or local airport host a GIFT weekend! We can come to you help with the ground instruction, coordination. Use our donate button to make donating easier soon! (every 5 dollars buys a gallon of gas for a participant $25 buys gas for an hour of flight in the C150)