THREE AHS STUDENTS SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS IN NAVAL PILOT PROGRAM

WRITTEN BY KEITH TAYLOR, WEBMASTER & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Three Allen High School students recently learned to soar to new heights. Literally.

AHS seniors Taylor Carroll, Hannah Bartlett and Nickole Rios recently completed an intensive eight-week pilot training program over the summer in the highly selective US Navy Summer Flight Academy. Not only were they the only three students chosen from a single high school, they were also among only 28 elite students chosen nationwide for the program.

The opportunity allowed the students to earn college credits and obtain their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate, a significant accomplishment for high schoolers. The scholarship, valued at $30,000, covered transportation, lodging, meals, and the $25,000 pilot course, making it an invaluable experience for these aspiring aviators.

Although the journey was intensive, they enjoyed the challenging course.

“We had flight training from 8 a.m. to noon,” Taylor said. “We would break for lunch, then from 1 to 4, we would have ground school.

Then we would study for the rest of the night. Training was pretty much all we did. It was all flight school. I did find a coach out there to help me with physical training. We flew every day depending on the weather.”

While most pilot training programs are typically less intense and do not involve daily flying, the Navy program pushes its participants to retain large amounts of information in a condensed timeframe.

“It was faster-paced than normal pilot training,” Hannah said. “Most training would not be as intense. It wouldn’t be every single day. You have to retain all this information from flight training and ground school in a short amount of time.”

The ultimate goal of these young aviators has been deeply influenced by their experiences in the program. Taylor expressed her newfound passion for flying helicopters in the military, inspired by a Marine pilot she met during her training.

“She flies Cobras (Marine Attack Helicopters), and during cross-country flights, she would tell me about her experiences flying them.

After talking with her, I began to realize rather than flying a plane, I could go on to fly helicopters in the military. So, that’s where I’m heading right now.”

Hannah, on the other hand, is eyeing a career in commercial aviation, with the goal of obtaining her instructor’s license.

“I’m really interested in a career in aviation,” she said. “I’ve only experienced the military side of aviation so far, but I’ve learned about commercial aviation, and definitely want to get my instructor’s license so I can teach pilots and maybe some of my family how to fly.”

Nickole shared her desire to work in aviation as well, with possibilities such as becoming a mechanic, pilot, or engineer.

Despite the demanding nature of the program, all three students successfully completed their training and now hold their private pilot certificates. They are eager to continue their aviation journeys by pursuing more flight training and working towards instrument ratings.

All three have their sights set on service academies and a future in the military or continuing to participate in ROTC in college.

Throughout their experiences, they had the support of their families and fellow cadets.

“My parents were very proud of me -- and us. It was an amazing program. It was a very challenging and rewarding experience,” Taylor said.

Hannah shared her gratitude for the collaborative environment of the program, which contrasted with her competitive academic background.

“They told us from day one that it’s collaboration, not competition. So, coming from a very competitive academic environment to one where everyone is on the same playing field was a very big culture shock for me and I loved it.”

Nickole also appreciated the camaraderie among cadets, emphasizing, “Everybody worked together. We helped each other with tests. When we passed, everyone was giving high fives. I learned I could go through difficult challenges and do things myself, also with the support of my parents and the other cadets and instructors.”