Crowning the Skies: A Beauty Queen's Journey into Aviation

By April L. Watson

Ava Watson of New Orleans has always been up for adventure as she loves roller coasters, zip-lining, and airplanes. On March 30, 2024, Ava was up for another kind of adventure when she competed and was crowned Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2024 at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in her second pageant competition ever. She has been using her year of service to Louisiana to promote her personal platform on young women in STEM and specifically, aviation.

Ava is passionate about aviation, actively learning to fly in her mother’s 1978 Grumman Tiger airplane out of Lakefront Airport (KNEW) in New Orleans, Louisiana. She loves the plane that they call “Dolly” because the cockpit opens, which gives the pilot both an excellent vantage point and a break from the heat of the bayou state. Her favorite flight pattern is known as the “river run” where pilots follow the Mississippi River and get one-of-a-kind views of the river, parish industry, and finally turning towards and crossing through the picturesque City of New Orleans towards KNEW. She loves flying over her neighborhood and trying to find her house nestled among the trees in the historic Uptown New Orleans area.

She’s a proud member of the NOLA 99s, an organization of women pilots of which Amelia Earhart was elected the first President of the national organization in 1931. Ava enjoys participating in the group’s activities and learning from experienced women pilots. She is also a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and Women in Aviation International.

Aviation runs in her family, with her great-grandfather being a lead engineer on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat for the Navy, her grandfather being a private pilot, and her mother also sharing a love for flying. Ava will be pursuing a degree in business and aviation, and eventually a career in commercial aviation.

One of her favorite memories is visiting her mom’s hometown of Anchorage, Alaska last summer, and specifically, Lake Hood Seaplane Base. It’s the world’s largest and busiest seaplane base. Ava was awed by the number of colorful planes, which were striking against the beautiful mountain landscape of Alaska. Ava aims to get a seaplane rating and one day own a charter service in the Florida Keys so she can show people the beauty of the landscape from the sky.

Ava has been a guest speaker at the Civil Air Patrol and made guest appearances at several aviation days where volunteer pilots take kids and teens on airplane rides to spark their interest in aviation. She speaks on training, challenges, the impact of aviation on Louisiana’s economy, and aviation careers. Ava hopes to shed light on the importance of aviation to the state’s economy, the numerous opportunities it can bring, and the career opportunities available to the next generation of pilots, aerospace engineers, aircraft mechanics, and airport managers.

I'm really encouraged to see so many young women pursuing and succeeding in flight training

Jeanie Janczewski, Ava's flight instructor with Gulf Coast Aviation at KNEW in New Orleans is also one of Ava's mentors.