ARLINGTON, Texas - s4story -- Destiny Watford, 18, of Arlington, Texas has received a scholarship from the Lyons Aviation Foundation in support of her pursuit of a Private Pilot License — and ultimately, a career on the flight deck of a major airline.

When Destiny was four years old she started cheerleading. From early on she was a flyer — launched and thrown to great heights. It may have been no surprise to her family that at fourteen she proclaimed that she wanted to jump out of an airplane. She still hasn't done that, but with her mother directing her toward the Civil Air Patrol, she found something even more exciting: a desire to pursue a career as a pilot.

She is now on the verge of her first solo flight and plans to complete her Private Pilot License this summer, before enrolling in the Professional Pilot track at Texas Southern University.

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Getting there hasn't been without some creative hustle though. A 48-hour BBQ for flight time turned into a family effort — her pitmaster father cooking the brisket, Destiny delivering it, and earning valuable hours toward her goal. That kind of resourcefulness says a great deal about who she is, creative, resourceful, and part of a great team.  She is still flying in competitive cheer, and her goals go far beyond. She intends to complete her flight training at Texas Southern and reach her ultimate goal of flying for a major airline.

The Lyons Aviation Foundation is proud to be part of Team Destiny. We have every confidence she'll reach her goals, and have fun doing it. She may even find time to jump out of a plane along the way.

https://lyonsaviation.org/