We are heartbroken to hear the news that Connecticut Ninety-Nines member and local aviator Fredrika “Rika” Ballard passed away on Sunday, January 14th 2024 in an aviation accident in Massachusetts. Also involved in the tragic accident were Bill Hampton and Chad Davidson.
Rika was an enormous supporter of women in aviation and an absolute inspiration to hundreds of pilots in the New England region and worldwide. The owner of Fly Lugu Flight School at the Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, her dedication to getting more women and girls in the air was unmatched. She was particularly active in our Connecticut Ninety-Nines women pilots group - generously hosting our New England Ninety-Nines Poker Run, and hosting two chapter gatherings at her flight school and hangar in 2023. We are devastated by this loss, and miss her dearly. Our hearts are with the family and close friends of all three pilots involved in this terrible accident.
Each year, our chapter distributes a $1,000 flight training scholarship. This year's chapter scholarship has been named in honor of Rika, who was one of the most fierce advocates for women in aviation. These funds will support a female in flight training, honoring Rika's legacy and relentless advocacy for getting more women in the air.
Rika was an enormous supporter of women in aviation and an absolute inspiration to hundreds of pilots in the New England region and worldwide. The owner of Fly Lugu Flight School at the Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, her dedication to getting more women and girls in the air was unmatched. She was particularly active in our Connecticut Ninety-Nines women pilots group - generously hosting our New England Ninety-Nines Poker Run, and hosting two chapter gatherings at her flight school and hangar in 2023. We are devastated by this loss, and miss her dearly. Our hearts are with the family and close friends of all three pilots involved in this terrible accident.
Each year, our chapter distributes a $1,000 flight training scholarship. This year's chapter scholarship has been named in honor of Rika, who was one of the most fierce advocates for women in aviation. These funds will support a female in flight training, honoring Rika's legacy and relentless advocacy for getting more women in the air.
Connecticut ninety-nines scholarship in honor of fredrika ballard
Each year, our chapter distributes a $2,000 flight training scholarship. The 2024 chapter scholarship has been named in honor of Rika, who was one of the most fierce advocates for women in aviation. These funds will support a female in flight training, honoring Rika's legacy and relentless advocacy for getting more women in the air.
Read more about Amber Irimia, the winner of this memorial scholarship, here.
Read more about Amber Irimia, the winner of this memorial scholarship, here.
Read more about Rika and her incredible accomplishments below:
Rika was a second generation pilot who solo'd at Westfield-Barnes Airport at the age of 16, and she returned to flying in 2016. She earned her Flight Instructor rating in August 2019 and her Instrument Flight Instructor rating in February 2020. She created Fly Lugu Flight Training to serve an unmet need in the community - the school saw a strong pattern of growth and now boasts nine planes (with more on the way), over 10 instructors, 130 students on average, and roughly 24 flights per day. Rika additionally owned a maintenance shop at Barnes Municipal Airport, where the company employs four mechanics, and is involved with initiatives to build new hangars at the airport. Rika was an active member of the Ninety-Nines, International Organization of Women Pilots, Women in Aviation International, as well as Western Mass Wright Flight, and Kiwanis Club of Westfield. Serving on the Advisory Council of Westfield Technical Academy, she recognized an opportunity to "bridge the gap" and champion STEM education in our local community. Her goal was to engage the greater Westfield community with the wonderful world of aviation and help new aviators achieve their goal of being skybound. She was awarded BusinessWest’s ‘Women of Impact’ award during their annual awards dinner this past December and leaves behind a legacy of being one of the best and more influential flight instructors in the region. A mentor and confidant to many female pilots in the region, Rika instilled confidence in countless pilots and student pilots with her mantra “you’re only going up from here.”
