Pathway: Flying Musician Nicole-Isabella Ruiz

By Nicole-Isabella Ruiz

Nicole-Isabella Ruiz is a student member of the Flying Musicians Association who recently soloed. Here is her story.

On September 9th 2018, I flew solo for the first time. The moment my wheels left ground I felt a shiver go through my body- I couldn’t believe it. I had heard endless stories from other pilots and their solos. They say it’s a moment you never forget, and I don’t think I ever will.

I’m the first pilot in my family and the amount of challenges I met through my training are endless. The hardest moments however, are what made my solo so much more special. My first solo landing, the smile on my mom’s face when I returned, the ‘I’m so proud’ from my older brother, and the little girl who told me she wanted to be pilot too made it all worth it. I put a lot into flying, but flying gives back so much more.

Discovering flying felt like a miracle because it offered me peace and a sense of purpose in a time I really needed it. I know that there are kids who go through similar times and are searching for the answers that flying gave me. For this reason, I recently started a project called ‘Project Cayley’. After high school I will fly around the world solo with the goal of introducing aviation to kids from every background. I want to promote the idea of the doing the impossible no matter your circumstance or background.

Musician: a person who writes, sings or plays music.

The Flying Musicians are accepting nominations from high school music directors for the 2019 FMA Solo program. The deadline is January 31, 2019. Eligible candidates are high school juniors and senior music students with a passion for aviation and music. All nominees receive a Sponsored Student membership. We encourage all student musicians, no matter the age, to become a part of the FMA network spanning the globe, genres, and proficiency levels.