Detroit's Tuskegee Airmen National Museum lands $500,000 FAA grant to train student pilots

Detroit — The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum will use a $500,000 grant to attract underrepresented high school students into future careers as pilots, drone pilots and aerospace engineers.

On Friday, officials with the national museum, which is housed inside the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, announced details of the Federal Aviation Administration grant, which will fund student programming at Wayne State University's Aviation Career Academy.

The grant was announced as the United States continues to deal with an airline pilot shortage as well as high demand for airline mechanics. The government estimates that there will be about 18,000 openings per year for airline and commercial pilots this decade, with many of those replacing retirees and those who leave for jobs in other industries. However, the number of new pilots won't be enough to meet demand and by 2032 North America will be short about 30,000 pilots, according to consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

Brian Smith, president of the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum, said the grant will make the dreams of students come true and may inspire others to try aviation for the first time.

"This effort will allow us to build on the rich legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen by building a better future for the next generation of students who will become airplane pilots, drone pilots and aerospace engineers," Smith said.

Smith said the grant is focused on students from Detroit and those who attend school across the region outside city limits.

"How many are we looking for? We are just asking anyone who is interested come," Smith said. "We will make room for you."

Housed at Wayne State University, the academy teaches students about aviation history, theory of flight and other related subjects. Students attend field trips to multiple aviation and educational facilities and have the opportunity to meet and learn from aviation professionals.

A new class of 30 students will begin training at Detroit City Airport on May 18. Students will also have an opportunity to sign up for aviation summer camps that kick off in June. 

The museum is training 18 students in its program.

“This year we have a 90 percent retention rate for kids in our aviation academy,” Tuskegee Airmen National Museum Board Member Leroy C. Richie said. “Our hope is all these students will go on and become pilots, drone pilots and aerospace engineers. Someone coming through this program may one day find themselves piloting a space shuttle. The sky is no longer the limit.”

Student John E. Dilligard IV started in the ACE program at the age of 10 and spent his summers learning about the world of aviation. Now 17, Dilligard is headed to college this summer to study aeronautics at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

"I enjoyed it a lot," Dilligard said of the program on Friday. "It was a way to get introduced to what aeronautical engineering was, how to fly, what you should and shouldn't do."

The Tuskegee Airmen was the American military’s first all African American fighter pilot squadron. The first aviation cadet class began in July 1941 and completed training nine months later in March 1942, according to the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum. The Black airmen who became pilots were trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. From 1941-46, about 1,000 Black pilots trained there. The airmen amassed an impressive record in escorting bombers during World War II with one of the lowest loss records of all escort fighter groups, according to Tuskegee University's website.

The FAA grant is part of a $10 million effort to train and educate students for aviation careers in 23 cities around the country. Detroit's Tuskegee Airmen National Museum is the only site in Michigan selected to receive the award. 

Brandon Jones, a 36-year-old pilot with United Airlines and instructor pilot at the Michigan National Guard, recalled the environment he experienced in the ACE program in 2000, which was full of people his age from Detroit.

"We were pushed to compete to excel," Jones said. "This program meant the world for me. I grew up at Seven Mile and Livernois area and looking up at the Northwest Airlines planes flying overhead to flying in an airplane."

"If you can fly an airplane, if you can solo an airplane, no mater what you go into ... the world is in your hands," Jones said.

jchambers@detroitnews.com