Westfield’s Mia Nagle poses for a photo with her father Christopher before taking off for a flight.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WESTFIELD — If you look up, you just might see Westfield resident Mia Nagle flying above you.
Nagle, 17, is pursuing her passion to become a pilot thanks to the Mary Shea Wright Flight Memorial Scholarship, support from her family and her determination to fly.
For her 16th birthday, Nagle’s parents Christopher and Eliza gave her an experience she will never forget — a discovery flight at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport.
“I first decided I wanted to be a pilot after taking my introductory flight,” she said. “A discovery flight, or an introductory flight, allows a person to fly with an instructor and learn about the fundamentals of flight. It is the first step many pilots take, and it is a great way to figure out if flying is something you want to do.”
For Nagle, it confirmed her desire to fly.
“As soon as the plane left the runway, and became airborne, I knew flying was something I wanted to pursue,” she said. “Being the pilot of an aircraft allows you to see the world through a whole new perspective, which you cannot experience anywhere else, but through a cockpit.”
Nagle was initially inspired by her father.
“When I was young, he was working towards his private pilot license,” recalled Nagle. “I would listen to his stories, absolutely mesmerized. We would sit at the airport and talk about the planes he would fly, the people he trained with, and the adventures he experienced. Unfortunately, having to take care of two girls — my sister and I — made it difficult to continue flying, so he stopped.”
In middle school, Nagle’s passion for aviation grew.
“My dad continued to share his amazing stories with me, and eventually, they would inspire me to pick up flying myself. I hope one day, I can fly with my dad, and we can go on many great adventures together,” said Nagle.
Mia Nagle poses outside of a plane.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
Nagle began taking flight lessons in March of 2024 at Northampton Airport with Northampton Aeronautics. She said in order to obtain a private pilot’s license, a person must be at least 17 years of age and must be 16 to obtain a private pilot’s certificate or solo an aircraft. However, there is no age requirement for someone to start training.
“The private pilot certificate is almost like a learner’s permit for driving,” she said. “It gives student pilots the privileges to operate aircraft in certain circumstances. Nevertheless, there are safety requirements established by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) to protect student pilots in the sky. For example, along with being at least 16 years of age, a person must speak fluent English, obtain a class 3 medical certificate, showing the student is in the right condition to assume flight training, and in order to receive a private pilot license, a person needs at least 40 hours flying.”
Requirements for a pilot license includes 10 hours of solo flight, passing a 60-question written knowledge test, an oral exam and a checkride, which demonstrates a pilot’s ability to fly and operate the aircraft.
Nagle said her family and friends “have always been incredibly supportive.”
“My parents take time out of their day every week to bring me to my flight lessons and I am incredibly grateful. I even had the chance to take my dad to a flight lesson and fly with my instructor and I. When I told my family and friends I was going into flight training, they were overjoyed,” she said.
Pursuing a career as a pilot is one of Nagle’s biggest dreams.
“I am incredibly passionate about aviation and flying,” she said. “Going into training is important in terms of my career. I have thought about flying commercially, or becoming a flight instructor, after obtaining the licenses I need to work as a pilot.”
In addition to her penchant for piloting, the St. Mary’s High School junior is also an accomplished equestrian.
“In my free time, I compete in many horse shows in the area with my horse, Annie,” she said. “I am a part of many agricultural nonprofit organizations who support farmers, and children aspiring to pursue careers with livestock, farming and more. This includes the organization 4-H. My 4-H club focuses on equestrian activities, and I love spending time with my club mates. In the summertime, I run varsity cross country. I also operate lights for my school drama club, which I enjoy doing. At home, I like reading, and going for walks when I can.”
Nagle’s training for her private pilot license is funded by the Mary Shea Wright Flight Memorial Scholarship. Funded by Wright Flight, the scholarship allows girls over the age of 15½ to pursue training for their pilot’s license. Mary Shea was an instructor who worked at Northampton Airport, and the scholarship is given in memory of her achievements.
