When I first lifted off from the runway in a Cessna 182, my heart raced with excitement and a newfound passion. I’m a homeschooled African American teen in Washington DC seeking to earn my private pilot's license. I’m hoping to fund my flight classes to pay for my private pilot's license and start on the road to becoming a corporate pilot. As African Americans, we are often underrepresented in the aviation industry because of the expenses that come with pursuing such a passion. I’ve already flown in a plane as a co-pilot three times and am currently in ground school to prepare for flight lessons.
Currently, I am one of 11 Black students attending Level II Ground School at the world's oldest continually operated airport, College Park Airport (KCGS) through the Youth In Aviation Program (YIAP) that is sponsored by the Tuskegee Airmen East Coast Chapter. During Level III, the flying portion of the program, I will receive 15 hours of flight instruction through Herb Jones' Metropolitan Aviation Flight School at Hyde Field in Clinton, Maryland.
After passing the written, oral, and practical exams required to earn my private pilot’s license, I plan to continue on to gaining my instrument rating and commercial pilot's license. I’m also looking at aviation-oriented colleges to help further educate myself in piloting. I hope to become a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) to teach others while I continue learning.
In addition to piloting, I am also fluent in Mandarin Chinese, I work as an assistant instructor in a local Kung Fu school, and I’m taking dual enrollment classes to strengthen my college application.
A private pilot’s license requires 40 hours of flight time and instruction. By helping fund me, I’ll get:
- 15 minutes/flight hr. of briefing (student pilot and pilot instructor cover the course material to take flight)
- 25 hours of flight time, which includes:
- 10 hours of solo flight
- 3 hours of cross country
- 3 hours of night flight
