The Tribune

Captain Ernea Miller is a Bahamian private pilot, flying the skies in Florida and charting her own course. The 21-year-old pilot is a student at the Flight Safety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, who took time out from her busy schedule to stop at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s booth during the recent Sun n' Fun International Fly In and Aviation Expo in Lakeland, Florida, the second largest aviation conference in the world.

Licenced as a private pilot already, Captain Miller is scheduled to graduate with a multi-engine and commercial pilot licence and as a flight instructor this October.

The 2016 graduate of Saint Augustine’s College in Nassau plans to join the aviation team at Bahamasair, where she hopes to follow in her brother’s steps, Captain Devin Miller, a 30-year veteran pilot at Bahamasair.

Captain Miller said airplanes have always captivated her. As a child residing near the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, she said “the noise of the airplanes always excited me. This fascination led to my curiosity and deeper desire to learn more about the aviation industry."

“From seaplanes and Cessnas to Grand Caravans, ATRs and 737-Dash series aircraft, I want to fly them all. The sky truly is the limit for me, and it is with great passion, determination and a steadfast commitment to this vital industry in tourism that I await the endless possibilities that lie ahead,” she said.

Captain Greg Rolle, a pilot and senior Director of Sports and Vertical Markets at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, said he was impressed by the passion, determination and enthusiasm shown by Captain Miller.

“Miller is a fine example of young, talented and skilled Bahamian professionals, making a difference in their chosen career field, we are proud of what she has accomplished and know that she is destined to positively impact our tourism and aviation industry,” he said.

“Aviation plays such a vital part in our tourism mix, and from all indications, based on our current booking trends and visitor arrival numbers, we are on course to surpass our historic record performance of 2018. We expect to exceed the more than 6.8 million visitors we welcomed last year as well as exceed the more than 122,000 private planes that landed on our airports."