Page 4 - Black History Month 2022 - Combined Special Edition of Aerotech News and Review — Nellis AFB - Creech AFB Desert Lightning News

Bessie Coleman:

First African American to earn a pilot’s license

by Cathy Hansen anyone in America who would teach her to fly because of her race.
special to Aerotech News Bessie Coleman was born on Jan. 26, 1892, in a one-room, dirt-
floored cabin in Atlanta, Texas. Growing up she always told her
Since the earliest days of flight, American women have been mother that she was “going to amount to something.” She went
demonstrating and test flying aircraft. Throughout history, these to school in a one-room schoolhouse and learned to read. At night
special women have made their dreams come true with a deter- she would read to her illiterate mother and her younger brothers.
mination that stemmed from their affection for flying machines. After completing eight years of school, she became a laundress
In the past, women aviators such as Harriet Quimby, the first and saved her money until 1910, when she left for Oklahoma to
American woman aviator; Bessie Coleman, first Black woman attend college. After one year of college, she ran out of money
aviator in America (who, by the way had to get her license in and went back to being a laundress.
France because of her race); Amelia Earhart, internationally re- In 1915, she moved to Chicago to live with an older brother
nowned woman aviator, and founder of the Ninety-Nines; and and became a manicurist. During that time, she was able to pay
Jacqueline Cochran, founder of the WASP’s; all had perseverance for a place of her own to live and decided her goal in life was to
and resolve. become an airplane pilot.
Coleman was the first African American (male or female) to She was able to befriend several African American community
receive an International pilot’s license. She was unable to find leaders in Chicago’s Southside and met Robert Abbott, who be-
came her sponsor. Abbott, publisher of the largest African Ameri- In 1923, Coleman purchased a small plane but crashed on the
can weekly newspaper, encouraged her to go to France to pursue way to her first scheduled West Coast air show. The plane was
her goal of obtaining a pilot’s license. He funded her trip to France destroyed and Coleman suffered injuries that hospitalized her for
in late 1920 and she earned her Fédération Aéronautique Interna- three months. Returning to Chicago to recover, it took her another
tionale (F.A.I.; international pilot’s license) license on June 15, 18 months to find financial backers for a series of shows in Texas.
1921. Her first flight lesson was in a Nieport 82, a single-engine After recovering from her injuries, she went out to find backers
biplane built for combat during World War I. She then traveled of her air shows and after 18 months was able to purchase another
Europe gaining additional flying experience so she could perform aircraft. Her air show flights and theater appearances were suc-
in air shows and became a dazzling air show performer before cessful and in 1925 and she was beginning to see that she would
returning home to America. be able to earn enough money to start her aviation school.
In New York, she gave many interviews to the press and was She had a benefit demonstration scheduled for May 1, 1926,
given the nicknames of “Brave Bessie” and “Queen Bess.” She in Orlando, Fla., for the Jacksonville Negro Welfare League. She
told reporters that she would be a leader for her race and encour- took the train to Orlando and pilot, William D. Wills, flew her two-
age children to fly. She wanted to have a flying school for every- place plane into Orlando. He had to make three forced landings
one. She spoke in churches, schools and theaters to inspire and
foster the idea of African Americans to learn about and partake because the plane was so worn and poorly maintained.
in the joy of aviation. She often would say, “The air is the only The day before the event, Wills and Coleman took the aircraft
place free of prejudices.” See COLEMAN, Page 5

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