The Aviation Foundation

The mission of the Foundation is to promote education, empowerment and safety in aviation for minorities, women and youth with an emphasis on economically underserved areas. The population of women and minority pilots and aviation professionals is staggeringly low as compared to other professions. The number of African-American male pilots working for major airlines in the United States is too low to measure. (less than one half of one percent). The number of female African-American pilots is even lower. To date, there is only one African-American female pilot serving as a captain for a major airline carrier. For women pilots of all races, there are fewer than 10 percent. The Foundation aims to increase the population of minorities and women pilots, one student at a time, by providing grants and scholarships that will enable participants to learn to fly, become advocates in their communities for aviation, and become an inspiration to others by doing something that their peers may never have considered as a career or hobby. We have all been inspired by someone who has done something extraordinary. We hope to make the participants in our program inspirational symbols for others to do things they thought was out of reach– if that includes flying or perusing a career in aviation all the better.