Melinda Holmes Ellwanger comes from a family of aviators. Her father and grandfather were pilots, and her son, Jess, is a certified flight instructor (CFI). Though Ellwanger ’88 chose a different career path — as a civil rights attorney — she noticed a startling similarity between the industries.
“Like the legal field, aviation is a very male-dominated industry,” says Ellwanger, who lives in Ivins, Utah. “The statistics show a significant disparity in representation within the aviation industry.” According to a 2024 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 11% of all aircraft pilots and flight engineers are women, and 88% are white.
Wanting to improve the industry’s diversity and accessibility, Ellwanger teamed up with her husband, James, and son to launch Lima Flight, a mobile app that helps aspiring pilots find a flight instructor or flight school that fits their needs.
“One of the barriers for students in achieving aviation success is the inability to find a compatible CFI,” says Ellwanger. “In general, finding CFIs is still done rather archaically — calling fixed-based operators at nearby airports, Google searching and word of mouth. The Lima Flight app gathers the necessary resources all in one place and allows users to connect with a CFI whose credentials, teaching style and philosophies align with their own.”
Users can filter their preferences for instructor certifications, airplane model and more. Once they find a profile that feels like a good match, they can send a connection request. Prospective students can connect with various flight schools as well.
Since its launch in March 2025, the free app has been downloaded thousands of times and has already made hundreds of successful connections.
Ellwanger hopes Lima Flight will improve diversity and interest in the field. Her team is building a database to help aspiring pilots find scholarships. In the meantime, Lima Flight is rolling out other features, including a search function for nearby aircraft rental, mechanics and maintenance facilities.
Ellwanger says the app brings the aviation community closer together in a new way, and that’s especially important now. “The need for pilots is quickly outpacing the rate at which new pilots enter the field,” she adds. “So, it's important to attract and retain motivated students.”
Camille Haines is an editorial intern for Northwestern Magazine.
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