Grain Valley High School senior’s future is in the sky

by Cory Unrein, Grain Valley News


Grain Valley High School senior Italia Haywood has always had an interest in travel, and originally thought a career as a flight attendant sounded like a great option. Haywood said her uncle, an instrument rated pilot, asked a pointed question that sent her on another trajectory.

“When my uncle heard that I wanted to be a flight attendant, he said, ‘Why would she do that? She should just fly it herself.’ It wasn’t something I had even considered a possibility. Not long after that, I took what they call a discovery flight, and immediately said, ‘Yeah, this is what I’m doing.”, Haywood said.

Haywood shared her newfound passion with her homeroom teacher, Cheryl Beckman, whose brother just happened to be a flight instructor. Haywood began taking lessons with him, and quickly set the goal of becoming a private pilot at age 17 (the minimum age allowed).

“It took so much work, especially being in high school. It’s been an on and off process. Sometimes I wouldn’t get to fly for a month, sometimes for a week, and my route to getting my license was a little different,” Haywood said.

Haywood explained becoming licensed as a pilot is an extensive process, which includes education on the ground and a written examination and then a minimum of 40 hours of flight instruction. This includes five hours of solo flight and five hours solo cross country (50 nautical miles or further to an airport), before taking a check ride with a designated pilot examiner.

On the day of her check ride to gain her license, Haywood flew out to Bolivar to take her test with the pilot examiner. She passed, and quickly called her parents to tell them. But she wasn’t able to enjoy her accomplishment right away. As she looked at the flight radar for her route back to Grain Valley, the weather conditions were not ideal.

After a two-hour delay, she consulted with pilots in Bolivar and her flight instructor back home, who all agreed that conditions were still not favorable for a safe first solo flight as a newly licensed student pilot. Haywood’s flight instructor flew down to Bolivar and brought her home.

“I was very happy, but I didn’t get to have that experience yet. It was really exciting, but it didn’t hit me until a while after. The whole next day I was smiling all day,” Haywood said.

Haywood is now focused on continuing her training and earning additional ratings as a pilot.

“I’m a student pilot, not a certified pilot yet. I can’t get compensated for hire now. As a private pilot, I can split costs with you, but I cannot be hired or paid by anyone. I’ll keep bumping up until I’m rated for an airline pilot. There’s a lot more for me to do,” Haywood said.

Haywood said Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Florida is a dream school, but she is also considering her options with the Air Force.  

Regardless of her next step, Haywood knows her future is in the sky and encouraging other young women to consider flying.

​“Aviation is such a fun community, and only 6% of women are represented in the field. Last year (in aerospace academy), it was me, one girl, and 14 guys. It was a challenge being one of the only girls there. There was a bit of teasing, but I grew up with brothers. You have to hold your head high. I decided I was going to prove to them I could do it. And I was the first private pilot in the program.  It is a hard industry, and you have to be driven. I want to be a voice for girls who are interested in flying. I never knew it was an option for me. I never would have been on an airplane as a girl, looked at the pilot, and thought that could be me. I’d like to help change that for girls.” 

Grain Valley High School senior Italia Haywood reached her goal of becoming a licensed student pilot at age 17, the minimum age allowed, and has her eyes set on a future in the sky. Photo courtesy Staci Haywood.