Page 51 - Appendix A

Ron McGee 1972 SUPT student

What would you say was the percentage of blacks was in your training class?
I was the only black in my training class. I was the only black in any of the training classes while

I was in training.

Describe how the number of minorities in your pilot training environment compared to your
high school, college and home environment (growing up).
I was the only black in my high school until my Senior year when one other black attended.
Being a “military brat” most of my time was spent outside the US, and there were few blacks
where my father was stationed.

If there was a significant difference describe what impact it had (if any) on your success in
training and why?
N/A

In your opinion, does it make a difference, regarding your success, how many other black
pilots are going through training at the same time as you? Why or why not?
It does not make a difference to me. I was raised to always do my best regardless of situation,
circumstance or surroundings.

In your opinion, does it make a difference what the racial demographic of your training cadre
or leadership team is? Why or why not? Please share any specific examples from your

experience?
It does not make a difference for my performance. However, it would have made a difference
in treatment. If there were blacks at the time in a leadership role, some of the events that
happened to me during training would not have occurred. For example, I had one instructor
pilot that refused to fly with me. I had my grades lowered twice after an evaluation because
the instructor thought the grades I initially received placed me too high in the class standings in
his opinion. A black leadership team would have prevented that too. That one grade made a
difference of graduating number 3 vs. number 1.

In your opinion, or based on your experience, is there a difference for a black person going
through pilot training compared to a white person? If so, do you feel that the difference
positively or negatively impacts the success of black student pilots?