Page 6 - Appendix A

from the inside. As for me, yes, I struggled, but that had nothing to do with my instructors or
classmates…they were great. I just felt that I had to “Carry the Torch” all alone and the weight

of that became daunting at times.

Describe/detail the flight training you had (if any) before Air Force flight training (ACE camps,
Young Eagles incentive flights, ground school, etc. and describe how it may have impacted
your success in Air Force flight training.

I was in a program at USAFA that allowed me to earn my private pilot’s license. It was a very
diverse environment, and I did well in it. As a matter of fact, my two primary instructors were
from South Africa and Australia. That experience probably made me overconfident for UPT and
the humbling experience I had once I got there actually helped me become a better leader
because it caged my focus to be more cognizant of the minority ratio and acknowledge it when
interacting with people as they go through Life’s “issues.”

Sharing your experiences/thoughts. Please use this section to share any experiences or
thoughts on this topic from your experiences, the experiences of others, etc. that you feel are
relevant to the of the experience of black student pilots in Air Force pilot training.

I am not overzealous enough to think that I can speak for the experience of any other black
student pilot other than myself which I have detailed above. My biggest takeaway is, of course,
it’s not as difficult as it was during the era of the Tuskegee Airmen but it still takes a strong-
willed individual to complete that grueling program regardless of your race…let alone a
minority. The issue is the covert pressure that is put on you versus the blatant, overt pressure.

What year did you complete your training and at what location?

I graduated Pilot Training from Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi in 2005.