Amy Wilder is a private pilot with more than two decades of experience as a writer and editor in a career spanning journalism, marketing, and communications. 
She has worked in aviation journalism since 2023, combining a lifelong passion for flight and a love of the aviation community with a penchant for storytelling. As a licensed pilot, she brings firsthand insight to the stories she covers, lending an authentic, on-the-ground perspective to industry coverage.
She holds a Master of Arts in Eastern Classics and a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, both from St. John&#039;s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Culture.

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Amy Wilder

Aviation insurer USAIG has added tuition assistance for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s professional education courses to its Performance Vector safety benefits program, expanding training options available to eligible policyholders.&nbsp;Performance Vector, first launched in 2011 for five e-learning programs, has continued to expand and now offers benefits for a variety of aircraft and programs, including <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-10-20/usaig-expands-performance-vector-safety-initiative">the addition last year of fee assistance for a Vertical Aviation International</a> operational risk and resiliency accreditation program.
Under the newest option, eligible participants can apply up to $2,800 per policy year toward tuition for courses in ERAU’s safety and risk management subject areas. The benefit covers virtual, in-person, online, and hybrid learning options, with unused funds applicable to additional eligible courses within the same policy year.
ERAU professional education offers a wide range of non-degree courses tailored to industry needs. “This tuition assistance initiative empowers USAIG policyholders to access safety and risk-focused professional education, strengthening skills and advancing safety standards across the industry,” said ERAU director of professional programs Sarah Ochs.
Robert Sumwalt, executive director of ERAU’s Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety and former NTSB chairman, added, “With the upcoming requirements for Part 135 operators and airports to have a safety management system, these courses are even more essential.”
“Astute and professional leaders are the cornerstones of safe and well-managed flight operations, and there’s no better source for aviation-centered education than ERAU,” said USAIG president and CEO John Brogan. “I’m delighted that the Performance Vector benefit can now be applied there to help individuals in our policyholder flying organizations advance their professional knowledge and careers.”

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