Photo Courtesy of Instagram (@wil_liamhaley)
A Chicago 16-year-old is flying towards a bigger and brighter future. Having received his private glider pilot license, Zaire Horton is embarking on a solo trip in his motor glider to seven HBCUs to learn about their influence in instructing Black pilots in World War II.
The first stop for the young Black pilot was Wilberforce University in Xenia, Ohio, the first private HBCU in the nation, landing at the Lewis Jackson Airport.
Wilberforce not only fought for Black soldiers to fight in the war, but they were the sole HBCU to secure a rating for recognized military training.
“The seven states that my instructor and I have selected for my tour all house a historically Black university that played an instrumental role in aviation history,” the 16-year-old pilot explained, according to WDTN.
Horton spoke about the number of people who aren’t aware that Tuskegee wasn’t the only university that trained Black pilots for WW2. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Civilian Pilot Training Act, which created a $4 million budget to enable institutions to open flight training programs. Representative Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL) stated that “none of the benefits of training or programs shall be denied on race, creed, or color.” And while training was segregated, HBCUs like the West Virginia State College for Negroes, Tuskegee, Howard, Hampton, and more trained Black pilots to integrate the flight programs, with which about 2,000 of them graduated.
Horton began learning to fly a motor glider at the age of 14. By 15, he could fly on his own. Now that he has his glider pilot’s license, he’s planning to receive his private pilot and aeromechanics license before finishing high school.
The young aviator’s journey began when he took lessons at the College Preparation and Placement Program at Dunbar Vocational Center Academy in Chicago. His instructor, Umberto Ricco, inspired him to continue with his calling to be a pilot.
Initially, the 16-year-old was unsure about his decision, but all doubt went out the window when Ricco took him flying.
“In Chicago, you don’t really hear too much about people flying just like me, I didn’t know,” Horton declared.
The teen hopes his journey will inspire other teens like him.
“I want to encourage teens who would be interested to learn to fly without encountering some of the socio-economic barriers typically associated with careers in aviation,” Horton commented. “Flying is another way to open doors, and I want to inspire them to experience that.”
Horton is also a student at Ada S. McKinley’s acclaimed College Preparation & Placement Program, in which they posted their admiration and video of the teen’s first solo flight on their website.