Earning Her Wings: Mount Carmel teen achieving dream of becoming a pilot (November 3/4, 2012)
MOUNT CARMEL — Sixteen-year-old Rachael Barkley took her first flight at age 12 and she's been hooked ever since. On October 4, the Mount Carmel teen became the first NJROTC cadet at Volunteer High School to earn her solo wings — and she doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. “My friends are like, ‘Whoa, Rachael, you can't even drive a car yet, but you're flying a plane,’” she joked. “That's probably the biggest thing I get teased with. It’s hilarious, but that's the next step.” Rachael received a solo scholarship, thanks to her parents and the FLIGHT Foundation, and a grant from the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission. Cadet Barkley soloed in only 8.3 hours as the 106th solo student overall in a program recently recognized as one of the nation’s best. Rachael also became the youngest cadet to solo, performing the feat on her 16th birthday. Her mother, Stacey Barkley, said, “We have a very determined...