Roots Before Wings: A Pilot Mama’s Journey of Resilience and Flight

Hi, I’m Zion—entrepreneur, pilot, and proud single mama to two tiny tornadoes (ages 4 and almost 3).

I’ll never forget my first training flight in a helicopter in Watsonville, CA- my cheeks

hurt for days from the ear-to-ear smile I couldn’t get rid of. Less than a year earlier,

doctors told me I would never walk again after I was airlifted and rescued by one,

barely clinging to life with both femurs snapped, half my body broken and

unconscious. That flight flipped a switch in me. I was going to become an EMS helicopter pilot and pay it forward.

No one in my family is in aviation. My mom, an immigrant and the strongest woman I know, raised us solo and it never seemed possible for a girl like me to become a pilot. But after that one flight, I took a chance on myself, packed up and drove to Arizona— where I didn’t know a single soul—to start flight training. It was not easy, in fact it was full of obstacles, maxed-out credit cards, two jobs, barely enough sleep, while full- time training at ATP.

Then life threw a plot twist: I got married, got pregnant, and left my job waiting for

me at Envoy to drive, at 38 weeks pregnant, to a house we bought sight unseen with an airstrip in the middle of nowhere, Texas- where I knew no one- while the husband was still in Iraq for the past 4 months. At least I wasn’t alone this time, as every gentle (sometimes hard!) kick reminded me. One week later, I became a mom—and everything changed instantly. My logbook slowly collected dust from that day as my heart was overflowing with love like never before.

Life continued to test my strength and throw what seemed like impossible

challenges at me. Two years later I had a 1year old and 2year old, had filed for

divorce, and was again on the road to Florida with just my babies, a bag of clothes

and a trunk full of faith. I traded checklists for grocery lists, weather briefings for

playdates, and my headset for a diaper bag. I lost touch with many in the aviation

world, but found a deeper purpose: raising two amazing humans and planting seeds for a bigger dream.

Now, I’m building a startup to shake up the aviation industry, remove barriers, and

open doors for others—especially women and mamas like me. Turns out, I didn’t pause my dreams... I just gave them roots.

Happy Mother’s Day and month to the most inspiring woman who is always there for me- my mother, and all the mothers doing it all, dreaming big, and loving even bigger.

Follow your heart, and never give up.

Submitted by Zion Otto