Celeste Collins
An Unplanned Class Turned Into A Passion
Celeste Collins, a student at FLY Goodyear, a flight school outside of Phoenix, Arizona, received a scholarship in the amount of $1,500.00 from the Lyons Aviation Foundation to support her desire to get her private pilot license for a fixed-wing powered engine plane.
Celeste didn’t always intend to go into the field of aviation. When she was in high school, she had an opportunity to join a trade craft program, and when her first choice area of interest was cancelled just weeks before the program was to begin, she had to pick a new area of study. Even though she had no background or particular interest in mechanics, she decided to pick the program that had the highest paying jobs when the program was completed, and therefore, ended up in Aircraft Maintenance and received her Airframe Powerplant Certification. It was during this time that she fell in love with aviation. While she does enjoy aircraft maintenance, her true passion and joy is flying, with a desire to eventually become a commercial pilot for Delta or American. She had her first solo flight last week, and plans to finish her PPL later this summer. When asked what this scholarship means to her, Celeste responded, “I just want to say how grateful I am for people like you to make it possible for people like me. You may never know how much every little bit counts. Thank you.”
2025- Celeste Collins
The Lyons Aviation Foundation is proud to presenT
2025 Scholarship Recipient
celeste Collins
Celeste Collins
Celeste Collins, a student at FLY Goodyear, a flight school outside of Phoenix, Arizona, received a scholarship in the amount of $1,500.00 from the Lyons Aviation Foundation to support her desire to get her private pilot license for a fixed-wing powered engine plane.
Celeste didn’t always intend to go into the field of aviation. When she was in high school, she had an opportunity to join a trade craft program, and when her first choice area of interest was cancelled just weeks before the program was to begin, she had to pick a new area of study. Even though she had no background or particular interest in mechanics, she decided to pick the program that had the highest paying jobs when the program was completed, and therefore, ended up in Aircraft Maintenance and received her Airframe Powerplant Certification. It was during this time that she fell in love with aviation. While she does enjoy aircraft maintenance, her true passion and joy is flying, with a desire to eventually become a commercial pilot for Delta or American. She had her first solo flight last week, and plans to finish her PPL later this summer. When asked what this scholarship means to her, Celeste responded, “I just want to say how grateful I am for people like you to make it possible for people like me. You may never know how much every little bit counts. Thank you.”
About The Lyons Aviation Foundation:
The Lyons Aviation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non profit private foundation that exists to support and encourage the next generation of pilots and aviators through offering financial scholarships to deserving young persons who are pursuing their Private Pilot Certificate. The Lyons family has been involved in and maintained a history of aviation-related careers for over 66 years. The Lyons Aviation Foundation story started with Rolf C. Lyons, when he entered military service at the age of 17, enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1955, with his sons later following in his footsteps. This foundation was born out of a desire to give back to the aviation community and the future pilots, mechanics, and engineers working in the field by providing an opportunity to those that might not otherwise have the means to pursue aviation as a career path. This foundation is a living tribute to a family story and its ties to aviation, military service, and one another. More information can be found at www.lyonsaviation.org.
“A Helping Hand on the Road to Wings”