Not Deterred By Car Accident Or Long Commute

Daisy Soto’s strong passion for flying pushed her to overcome the immense odds of being a minority female to become a pilot for Piedmont Airlines. She feels the same passion to this day.

Daisy Soto grew up in Tecate, Mexico, where she woke up at 3 a.m. for the hour drive across the border with her father to high school in the U.S. Most days they arrived before the school opened, so she made friends with the janitors who let her in to be warm and catch a few more winks before classes.

After graduation she attended San Diego State University while still commuting from Tecate. She earned a BS in Business Administration but had wanted to become a pilot since her childhood.

She kept that goal front and center and after five years applied for U.S. citizenship to be able to leverage more resources on that path. She applied to the American Airlines Cadet Academy and had an interview scheduled when life threw her a major-league curveball.

In December 2019, Daisy sustained injuries in a car accident that required her to relearn how to walk. During her physical therapy she applied to the Cadet Academy again, and was thrilled when she was offered a second chance at an interview. She was accepted into the Academy and her dream began to take off.

With financial help from the Cadet Academy and Women in Aviation scholarships she was able to finish her flight training. Daisy joined Piedmont’s Cadet Program when she reached 500 flight hours and began her training in March 2024.

Daisy said of her training, “Flight Training was tough but everyone I encountered helped me and wanted to see me succeed. Obtaining my commercial pilot’s license and learning all the terminology was like learning English all over again.”

She added, “I wanted to become a pilot so bad; it still feels like I am dreaming.”

Daisy is proud of her journey and looks forward to becoming a Captain for American Airlines in the future.

FMI:  piedmont-airlines.com/