Philomath native Ella Skinkis graduated June 18 from the U.S. Air Force’s Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training program at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma.
The 2019 Philomath High School valedictorian’s journey to the cockpit began with academic excellence that carried her through the University of Portland, where she graduated magna cum laude with a mathematics degree while participating in Air Force ROTC on scholarship. Her outstanding performance earned her commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.
Skinkis’s military career started as a Gold Bar Recruiter in Syracuse, New York, where newly commissioned officers spend their first year helping attract future Air Force cadets through ROTC programs.
Beginning her flight training in October 2024 with the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance AFB, Skinkis tackled a program that combines academic instruction, ground training and hands-on flight experience. After completing initial coursework with the 71st Student Squadron, she advanced to flying the T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft with the 8th Flying Training Squadron.
Skinkis received the Academic Excellence Award for her training class.
The newly promoted first lieutenant will now take her skills to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where she’ll pilot the massive C-5M Super Galaxy, one of the world’s largest military transport aircraft. The C-5M serves as a critical component of America’s strategic airlift capability by carrying oversized cargo across intercontinental distances.