KINGSVILLE, Texas - A 2013 Flour Bluff High School graduate and Corpus Christi, Texas, native is participating in a rigorous training process that transforms officers into U.S. naval aviators.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Finley |
Ensign Cecilia Beavers is a student pilot with the “Redhawks” of Training Squadron (VT) 21, based in Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. The squadron flies T-45C Goshawk aircraft.
A Navy student pilot is responsible for learning the procedures and skills needed to fly naval aircraft both effectively and efficiently for the fleet.
“It’s a constant challenge of mastering these skills and applying this knowledge and techniques we learn on the ground up in the air,” Beavers said. “As students, we are building a foundation for our future as Navy fighter pilots. I'm humbled and inspired by the uniqueness of this opportunity.”
Beavers credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Corpus Christi.
“Throughout high school, I challenged myself to take the hardest classes and to do my very best and to never quit on something that I was committed to,” Beavers said. “Growing up on a beach, I discovered my love of the water and I found surfing to be one of my passions. The fulfillment of doing something that you love can not be beat. I later discovered my passion for flying and found that I had the same thrill and fulfillment from surfing as I do in this.”
The T-45C Goshawk is a tandem-seat, jet trainer aircraft powered by a twin-spool non-afterburn turbofan engine with 5,527 pounds of thrust and airspeed of 645 mph.
VT-21’s primary mission is to train future naval aviators to fly as well as instill leadership and officer values, Navy officials explained. Students must complete many phases of flight training in order to graduate, including aviation pre-flight indoctrination, primary flight training, and advanced flight training. After successfully completing the rigorous program, naval aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”
After graduation, pilots continue their training to learn how to fly a specific aircraft, such as the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter attack jet aircraft or the F-35 Lightning joint strike fighter jet. They are later assigned to a ship or land-based squadron.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
Beavers plays an important role in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Beavers is most proud of earning the opportunity to train to become a naval fighter pilot.
“All of my accomplishments leading up to this point have been stepping stones to get me here,” Beavers said. “This is the pinnacle of aviation across the globe, it's incredibly inspiring and motivating to be on the path in becoming one of the best aviators in the world.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Beavers, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Beavers is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather was a Marine pilot, he flew helicopters and jet fighters during the Vietnam War,” Beavers said. “My father was also a pilot in the Air Force and he taught me to fly a civilian plane while I was in college, this inspired my passion for aviation.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Beavers and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“It's a rare opportunity to serve amongst an elite group of individuals,” Beavers said. “I am humbled by this opportunity and I feel that I don't yet fully realize the gravity of my commitment, but I look forward to continuing my service to our country.”
A Navy student pilot is responsible for learning the procedures and skills needed to fly naval aircraft both effectively and efficiently for the fleet.
“It’s a constant challenge of mastering these skills and applying this knowledge and techniques we learn on the ground up in the air,” Beavers said. “As students, we are building a foundation for our future as Navy fighter pilots. I'm humbled and inspired by the uniqueness of this opportunity.”
Beavers credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Corpus Christi.
“Throughout high school, I challenged myself to take the hardest classes and to do my very best and to never quit on something that I was committed to,” Beavers said. “Growing up on a beach, I discovered my love of the water and I found surfing to be one of my passions. The fulfillment of doing something that you love can not be beat. I later discovered my passion for flying and found that I had the same thrill and fulfillment from surfing as I do in this.”
The T-45C Goshawk is a tandem-seat, jet trainer aircraft powered by a twin-spool non-afterburn turbofan engine with 5,527 pounds of thrust and airspeed of 645 mph.
VT-21’s primary mission is to train future naval aviators to fly as well as instill leadership and officer values, Navy officials explained. Students must complete many phases of flight training in order to graduate, including aviation pre-flight indoctrination, primary flight training, and advanced flight training. After successfully completing the rigorous program, naval aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”
After graduation, pilots continue their training to learn how to fly a specific aircraft, such as the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter attack jet aircraft or the F-35 Lightning joint strike fighter jet. They are later assigned to a ship or land-based squadron.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
Beavers plays an important role in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Beavers is most proud of earning the opportunity to train to become a naval fighter pilot.
“All of my accomplishments leading up to this point have been stepping stones to get me here,” Beavers said. “This is the pinnacle of aviation across the globe, it's incredibly inspiring and motivating to be on the path in becoming one of the best aviators in the world.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Beavers, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Beavers is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather was a Marine pilot, he flew helicopters and jet fighters during the Vietnam War,” Beavers said. “My father was also a pilot in the Air Force and he taught me to fly a civilian plane while I was in college, this inspired my passion for aviation.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Beavers and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“It's a rare opportunity to serve amongst an elite group of individuals,” Beavers said. “I am humbled by this opportunity and I feel that I don't yet fully realize the gravity of my commitment, but I look forward to continuing my service to our country.”