17-Year-Old Pilot: Giovanna Eiler’s Story
My name is Giovanna Eiler, and I piloted a plane as a solo person aboard for my sixteenth birthday, then earned my Private Pilot’s License for my seventeenth birthday!
Ever since I was a child, I have had a passion for aviation, so I pursued my dream in July of 2023. I turned sixteen, passed my Written Exam, and accomplished my First Solo Flight! Being the Pilot in Command, the sole person aboard the plane at such a young age, was the most empowering experience of my life. My spark for aviation truly set fire when I Soloed, my passion blazing within me.
Throughout the following year, I studied for countless hours and flew multiple times a week, as I worked toward my Private Pilot License. I went after my love for aviation, all while balancing my rigorous junior year of high school, being a Student Senator, AP Scholar, and CSF member, and attending my church’s seminary class every morning before school and organizing volunteer projects as Church Young Women Class President. I also continued my training in martial arts, piano, voice, theater, and maintained my Portuguese fluency. Outside of my education, I worked twelve hours a week at a restaurant and eight hours per week as an in-home caretaker for a baby.
In July of 2024, I passed my exams and earned my Private Pilot’s License at just seventeen years old! I was selected as the Event Coordinator for the San Diego 99s Women Pilots, as well as the Agua Caliente Airport Representative for the AOPA. As I aim for my next goal of Instrument Rating, I aspire to become a professional pilot, travel the world, and make my loved ones proud!
I am grateful to my friends and family, who inspired me to go after my goals and to share my love for aviation with others. I wanted to give back to my community, so I founded my own Aviation Club at Scripps Ranch High School! As Founder and President, I plan and hold weekly meetings at school during lunch to teach club members. I love giving lessons ranging from how to pilot small aircraft, to the science behind aerospace engineering. We watch flight videos, learn from guest speakers, and play games to connect us to aviation, and to each other. We also meet at local airports for discovery flights and events, like potlucks and movie nights!
I love supporting young aviators like me, and I am proud of what they have achieved. Several Aviation Club Members have spread their wings and earned their Private Pilot Certificates since 2023! I have been honored to help the youth in my community realize their aviation dreams, and I plan for more Aviation Club members to complete their First Solos by the end of 2025!
I look forward to achieving my own goals, and to keep inspiring fellow aviators to do the same. I can’t wait to see where my wings take me, and where I take others!”