Michelle Smith didn’t expect her life to pivot at 49. She was a longtime educator, a founding head of a Boston school, a mother of four, and a musician who built her career in private education. 

However, she lacked work-life balance. Then, she had an epiphany. 

“I’ve always been fascinated with flight,” she said. “About 15 years prior, I took an initial lesson and loved it. But with four little kids, staying consistent would’ve been tricky.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everything shifted. Remote work opened time, and uncertainty pushed her toward action. 

“I didn’t know what COVID was going to bring, and I didn’t want to feel trapped,” she said. “I figured I’ve always wanted to fly, and if I can get my license, I can take myself where I need to go.”

She started lessons and instantly fell in love.

“I was in the left seat at the controls, thrown into the fire,” she said. “But that was the exciting part. I realized I could do it, and it felt amazing.”

Four years into leading a thriving private school, Smith was approached about partnering on a new flight school. She loved the idea. 

“I felt so compelled by it that I just went for it,” she said.

In 2022, she and longtime pilot Mike Wolford launched Untethered Aviation, first on the East Coast. Now they have schools in Saranac Lake, New York; Lake Placid, New York; Bennington, Vermont; North Adams, Massachusetts, and Sedona. 

“It’s so much friendlier to fly here,” she said about Sedona. “We’re flying almost every day, all year round.”

Today, Untethered Aviation operates two low-wing Piper Cherokees, has two full-time instructors, a busy roster of students, and scenic air tours for visitors who want to see Sedona’s red rocks from above. The school also attracts pilots from around the world who want to train in one of the country’s most challenging environments.

“Sedona is known for its terrain, winds and heat,” Smith explained “Many pilots know it from Microsoft flight simulators — they’ve practiced it, they know how difficult it is.”

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Her school is different for several reasons.

“My partner, Mike Wolford, has been flying for over 40 years,” she said. “He started out as a hang glider pilot. We are now both skydivers. He’s a wingsuit pilot. I’m a tracker.

“We just love everything in the air and we really cater to our student and client in a very, very personalized way. We don’t just push people through the system, changing up the instructors. The instructor stays close with the student. I’m really mindful of that approach because of my background in education.” 

Smith’s background shapes everything about Untethered Aviation. She grew up in upstate New York, studied oboe at the New England Conservatory, and spent decades in private education — from music director to principal to founding head of Fusion Academy Massachusetts. She also earned a master’s in leadership from Johns Hopkins.

That experience informs the school’s philosophy.

“We really cater to our students and clients in a unique, personalized way,” she said. “It’s not about pushing people through the system. The instructor stays close with the student. There’s real mindfulness in how people learn.”

Wolford brings more than 40 years of flying experience — hang gliders, gliders, sailplanes, skydiving, wingsuit flying. Smith is a skydiver, too. Together, they’ve built a school that is rigorous and welcoming.

“It’s attainable,” she said. “People shouldn’t be afraid of it.”

One of Smith’s passions is working with young people, and Untethered Aviation reflects that. “We have kids as young as 9 flying with us and as old as 85,” she said.

Those 9-year-olds log real flight time. At 16, they can fly solo. At 17, they can earn a private pilot license. That’s something many of her students take with them to college.

“It teaches responsibility,” she says. “I saw that transformation in my own son. Suddenly, this is real. You take it seriously. And if you love it, you love it.”

For Smith, flying wasn’t just a hobby. This merges her love of education, her passion for flight and her instinct for building communities. Her mission remains simple.

“It’s about getting people up in the air,” she said. “If they walk away smiling, that’s the whole point.”