Sky's the Limit
Originally published on KFYR-TV.
BISMARCK, N.D. - Scouting teaches courage and confidence. An 11-year-old Girl Scout from Bismarck is soaring to new heights through her involvement in the organization.
“Alright, you ready?” asked Bismarck Aero Center flight instructor Clint May.
“Yup!” responded Arabella Archambault.
11-year-old Arabella has looked forward to this day ever since she flew to Minneapolis years ago.
“I noticed that there weren’t very many female pilots. So, I thought it would be a really cool job because you get to like travel the world,” said Arabella.
“Bismarck tower. Runway 13. Cleared for takeoff,” said an air traffic controller.
Her journey starts with the Girl Scouts. The CEO of the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizon invited Arabella to speak at the Cookies, Corks and Brews.
“She told the crowd, ‘Hey, when I grow up, I know I want to be a professional pilot,’” said Bismarck Aero Center’s FBO Director Shae Helling.
Helling heard Arabella’s speech and invited her to fly.
“I guess I never really expected that to happen,” said Arabella.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that less than six percent of pilots in the U.S. are women.
Arabella hopes her dream inspires others to follow their goals.
“Just keep doing what you want to do because you can do it, just like how I did it,” said Arabella.
Flight instructor Clint May said he loves seeing student pilots excited about flying.
The minimum age to earn a pilot’s license is 17 years old. Arabella said she plans to go to flight school as soon as she’s old enough.
Girl Scouts is proud to help create opportunities like this through our Girl Scout network. A connection was made at Cookies, Corks & Brews in Bismarck that linked Arabella to the Bismarck Aero Center.
