Prairie Grove native earns private, instrument, commercial pilot certificates, hopes to inspire future aviators
Rhiannon Umfleet, a native of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, has become the first woman to graduate from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Aviation Academy with her Private, Instrument, and Commercial Pilot certificates. She is now pursuing certification as a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) with plans to work as a pilot instructor for UCA.
“Rhiannon was one of our first students,” UCA Aviation Academy Director Brad Teague said. “She has always been fully engaged in everything we do at the academy.
“She started with no background or experience in aviation and has thrived. I am thrilled that she is one of our first graduates and the first female.”
As the only woman in the first cohort of the UCA Aviation Academy, Umfleet has embraced her role as a trailblazer. She was honored with the Annie Fitzgerald Award in 2024. This scholarship was named in honor of a retired Southwest Airlines pilot who now partners with the Aviation Academy to recruit future pilots.
“At first, I shied away from focusing on being the only woman in the program,” she said. “But, Miss Annie showed me the importance of embracing it and being a role model for young girls who may want to do this one day.”
Umfleet, a finance major in UCA’s College of Business, moved to Northwest Arkansas at a young age and initially planned on becoming an aerospace engineer. After high school, while working full-time and taking community college classes, she realized a desk job wasn’t for her.
“I didn’t want to be in a space like that for the rest of my life,” she said. “I wanted a job where I could move, grow, do different things and be outside.
“I thought, ‘Might as well fly the things. That sounds a lot cooler.’”
When her mom sent her a Facebook ad about UCA’s new aviation program, Umfleet jumped at the opportunity. A month later, she told her parents she had signed up and would be moving to Conway to start ground school. By June 2024, she had piloted her first solo flight.
“I was in the downwind, and I was finally able to fully look up and take it all in,” Umfleet said. “Just to look over and see that right seat empty, I felt pure excitement coursing through my body like ‘I can’t believe I’m up here, 1,500 feet in the air by myself.’”
As is customary in all flight training, Umfleet completed the Private License first, then moved to the Instrument Rating, which allows the holder to fly by sole reference to the aircraft’s instruments. This teaches a greater mastery of aircraft control, systems and instrumentation. It also permits flights under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). This rating takes a minimum of 35 hours.
She also completed the Commercial License, which allows the recipient to fly for hire under certain conditions. The FAA requires a minimum of 190 hours of accumulated flight time, including specific hours of experience in several areas such as night flying, cross-country and enhanced maneuvers.
For those considering aviation, Umfleet’s advice is simple: “Don’t be scared of how hard everyone says it is. It’s challenging, but the rewards are worth it.”
Beyond the classroom and cockpit, Umfleet has found a welcoming aviation community at UCA and in Conway.
“Brad Teague, the aviation director at UCA, Annie Fitzgerald, and Mark Valenzuela, the chief flight instructor at Central Flying Service, they have all been so kind and welcoming,” she said. “They’ve truly made Conway feel like home.”
She is excited to see the growth of UCA’s Aviation Academy, providing students with more resources and connections, including a new hangar and collaborative relationships to build a strong aviation community.
“I never imagined I’d be here,” Umfleet said. “Now, I can’t picture myself doing anything else.”
The Aviation Academy was announced in November 2023 and launched in March 2024. The program selects 15 students for each cohort with three private pilot classes starting each year. More than 400 applications are on file at present. The academy uses three Tecnam P-Mentors and one Cessna 172, and eight instructors work with students.
The UCA Aviation Academy offers new classes every three months. Multiple pilot certifications are available, including Private, Commercial, and Instructor licenses, Instrument and Multi-engine ratings. Discovery flights are available for those considering enrolling in the program.
More information, including how to apply, is available at uca.edu/aviation or by contacting Brad Teague, director of UCA Aviation Academy for UCA Outreach and Community Engagement, at (501) 450-5244 or bteague@uca.edu.