AT A GLANCE
- Tuskegee University has launched a new aviation science program to train future pilots.
- Kembriah Parker, 20, became the first woman in the program’s inaugural class to earn her pilot’s license.
- The program builds on the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military pilots during World War II.
- Students are training to become private and commercial pilots while addressing the national pilot shortage.
Tuskegee University Revives Historic Flight Legacy
At the height of World War II, the U.S. Army Air Corps sent Black cadets to Tuskegee Institute for primary flight training. Those cadets went on to become the Tuskegee Airmen, breaking barriers as the nation’s first Black military pilots.
Now, Tuskegee University, home to the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, is once again making aviation history. The university has launched a new aviation science program, training students to earn pilot’s licenses at the same site where the country’s first Black military pilots once trained.
First Woman Licensed in Inaugural Class
Among the first class of students is 20-year-old Kembriah Parker, who recently became the first woman in the program to earn her pilot’s license. “There were Tuskegee women working but not flying,” Parker said. “So it feels pretty good to be doing the flying.”
Training the Next Generation of Pilots
The aviation science program combines classroom instruction with flight training. Students are on track to become private and commercial pilots, a career path that could help fill the country’s growing pilot shortage.
For Parker, who overcame a fear of heights to achieve her license, the accomplishment is proof of perseverance. “You can do whatever you want as long as your head is in it,” she said.
