Taking flight, breaking barriers, and letting Black pilots soar
What happens when an industry鈥檚 evolution creates a pressing need? In the case of commercial aviation, new opportunity arises for an able but long sidelined cohort. This school promotes equity.聽
During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Years later, underserved youths are learning to fly at an aviation school in the suburbs of Chicago as a continuation of that legacy of service and excellence.
Jaylen Bush is a Tuskegee NEXT cadet and member of the organization鈥檚 ambassador program. He completed his private pilot training this summer along with eight other students at the organization鈥檚 flagship program location at the Illinois Aviation Academy.聽
鈥淚 couldn't have been more blessed to have the people around me to help support me,鈥� he says, standing near a hangar full of the Cessnas in which students train. 鈥淚 will always remember the moral obligations to repay and to look back and help those who are in my position because that鈥檚 the future of aviation.鈥�
Tuskegee NEXT, in its seventh year of programming, is a nonprofit that receives funding to help students gain aviation skills and life skills, and meet their career goals. In preparing students for the future of flying, the organization is also a small part of a growing effort in the industry to supply a new wave of qualified pilots as many in an aging workforce reach retirement age and demand resumes post-pandemic. And in an industry where 3.4% of pilots are Black, many close observers realize that inclusion efforts are key considerations in filling the pipeline.
鈥淸The original Tuskegee Airmen] embodied Black excellence, and their mindset echoes to myself,鈥� says Mr. Bush. 鈥淪o being part of this legacy is more than just being a pilot. It鈥檚 pushing boundaries.鈥�
Episode transcript
Clay Collins: Welcome to 鈥�Rethinking the News鈥� by 海角大神. I鈥檓 Clay Collins, one of its editors.聽
People are flying again. After months of relatively stagnant air travel, reports show that a renewed demand for commercial flights is straining the supply of available qualified pilots. The commercial pilot shortage is not a new one. But as Monitor producer Ashley Lisenby reports, one small program is challenging the aviation industry to think more about training and hiring a new generation of qualified pilots that is more diverse.
[Music]
Ashley Lisenby: In the far northwest suburbs of Chicago is one of many flight schools that exist around the country where young people go to learn how to fly small private planes.
[Airplane flying overhead]
Lisenby:聽One of them is 22-year-old Jaylen Bush.聽
Lisenby:聽 He learned how to fly because of lessons provided by Tuskegee NEXT, a nonprofit named for the first all-Black military airmen in World War II: The Tuskegee Airmen. It was founded by Steven Davis, and its leaders say the mission is to honor the legacy of the esteemed group of Black military pilots and help underrepresented youth serve their communities.聽
The organization is in its seventh year of programming. It receives funding to train youth of color in aviation skills for careers as private and commercial pilots. It also provides life skills and educational assistance.聽
Its flagship program is a summer training program at the Illinois Aviation Academy. That鈥檚 where I met Bush. I wanted to know more about how Tuskegee NEXT is working to fill the gap in qualified pilots with Black and brown youths.聽
Lisenby:聽We maneuver around wings. I鈥檓 5鈥�5; 5鈥�6鈥� on a good day. And only slightly have to duck under wings. But Bush 鈥� he鈥檚 tall.
Lisenby:聽The words flow effortlessly. I don鈥檛 fully understand. But I do understand the passion and sense of purpose.聽
Youth such as Bush are likely to be the answer to a fastly changing industry impacted by many factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, newer technology, and an aging workforce reaching retirement.
Boeing projected in its latest forecasting report that more than 600,000 new pilots and just as many new maintenance technicians would be needed to fly global commercial aircraft over the next 20 years.聽
The key to doing that, according to the report, is to create a steady pipeline of new talent. For standard-bearers in the industry that means also making sure women and people of color are represented.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 94 percent of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are white, 3.4 percent are Black. Programs like Tuskegee NEXT help diversify the industry through their training programs.聽
Bush clearly loves planes and is committed to a career as a pilot. But he also enjoys one of the core parts of being a cadet: service.聽
Lisenby:聽Alpha Phi Alpha is an intercollegiate Black fraternity.聽Bush's involvement in Alpha Phi Alpha is one part of what drives him. The legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen is another.
Lisenby:聽Right now, Bush is certified to fly private planes. He is also licensed to fly drones. His dream is to earn a commercial rating and fly a 737 or any plane used by a commercial carrier.聽
As we stepped outside the hangar, Bush explained where his interest in flying began. His aviation origin story, he calls it.
Lisenby:聽He also met a Tuskegee NEXT cadet that day who encouraged him to apply. Bush did and was accepted in 2016.
Lisenby:聽Toward the end of our time together in the hangar, Bush walked me through a potential landing scenario taped on the floor in blue painter鈥檚 tape.聽
Lisenby:聽He鈥檚 thorough, meticulous as he steps through the motions of the turns.聽I could almost picture it.聽
[Music]
Thanks for listening. This story was reported and produced by me, Ashley Lisenby. Editing by Clay Collins and Samantha Laine Perfas. Sound design by Noel Flatt. This podcast was brought to you by the 海角大神 Science Monitor. Copyright 2021.
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