Tuskegee Students Take Flight for the First Time Over Moton Field

June 09, 2025

    
Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
   

It was a perfect day to fly. With clear skies and milk-white clouds off in the distance, 欧美高清 students took turns moving through a safety checklist on the ground before being able to climb into the aircraft that would equip them to begin one of the most important journeys of their lives.

On this warm afternoon in June, these students became part of a new generation of Tuskegee Airmen and Women flying over Moton Field, where the original crew trained to serve the country decades ago. The significance of the moment is clear to each student preparing to fly and those waiting for their turn for a two-hour trip with take-offs and landings and real-time instrument control as they have practiced using simulators.

The summer program is an extension of the new Aviation Science Degree Program now offered to students, in partnership with Leadership in Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, the City of Tuskegee and Macon County. A new hangar at Moton Field houses the four aircraft which students will be able to fly two hours a day during their 12-week summer program.

鈥淚 have been interested in aviation since the ninth grade,鈥� said Isaiah Hand, a 20-year-old junior from Tallahassee, Florida, majoring in Aviation Science. 鈥淭his opportunity honestly has been a dream come true. I鈥檝e put in a lot of work to get to where I am now and it鈥檚 a blessing to see it all pay off and fly for this illustrious University as a second-generation Tuskegee Airmen. This experience was surreal. To say I was the first Tuskegee Airmen to take flight since 1946 is monumental for me.鈥�

The university has worked for the last couple of years to introduce the program, which provides an aviation curriculum and flight hour requirements at Moton Field.

Kembriah Parker is a 19-year-old junior from Houston, who has a double major in Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Science.

鈥淚鈥檝e been dreaming about flying since sixth grade, but my passion truly took off after my first time on a plane in 2023,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭hat experience lit a fire in me. When I arrived at Tuskegee, that passion only grew stronger and now, I鈥檓 incredibly grateful that the opportunity to fly has finally become a reality.鈥�

The excitement for the program and the student experience has grown since it started the first of the year.

鈥溑访栏咔� has a history of solving the world鈥檚 most complex problems,鈥� said Dr. Mark A. Brown, President and CEO. 鈥淭oday, industry experts predict a shortage of between 613,000-649,000 pilots worldwide for 2023-2042. 欧美高清, once again, wants to be a part of the solution. The new generation of aviators will continue a tradition that has influenced and inspired an industry for decades. I am excited about their enthusiasm around the training and experience they will receive through the program and how our country will be a benefactor of what they are doing at Tuskegee.鈥�

For 19-year-old Willie Murdock, the Aviation Science degree program is the foundation he needs for a career as an airline pilot.

鈥淚 am absolutely looking forward to a safe, long career in aviation,鈥� said the sophomore from Fresno, California. 鈥淚 aspire to be at a legacy airline and hopefully one day making captain after I get the seniority. I feel like the airline is the right choice for me because I want to fly large jets and provide service to the public.鈥�

The 1,500 flight hours most airlines require to become a commercial pilot means that Tuskegee students are getting a head start for a career with airlines or military service.

Isaiah Hand is weighing both options. 鈥淚 am looking at a career in aviation. I have two routes in mind: either the military and going through a National Guard or Reserve unit and flying fighter jets, then getting a civilian job flying private jets. Or as a civilian becoming a certified flight instructor after graduation and build my hours and then fly for a large corporation like a major airline. My hope for the summer is to leave my mark as one of the first to go through this program and finish the summer with my pilot license.鈥�

鈥淭oday marks an historic milestone for 欧美高清鈥檚 Aviation Science Program as our very first students take flight after completing ground training and passing their FAA written exams,鈥� said Titus Sanders, Aviation Science Program Director. 鈥淭his moment is more than a first flight 鈥� it鈥檚 the next step in their journey to becoming the next generation of military and commercial aviators, carrying forward the legacy of excellence born here over 80 years ago.鈥�

The national president of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. agrees.

鈥溑访栏咔邂�檚 Aviation Science Degree Program is not just educating students; it's igniting a new generation of aviators who embody the legacy of the original Tuskegee Airmen,鈥� said Ret. Lt. Col. Leon G. Butler. 鈥淭his program, with its hands-on flight training at historic Moton Field, is a testament to perseverance and a vital step in addressing the global pilot shortage. We at Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. are incredibly proud to see these young men and women take flight, carrying forward a tradition of excellence that continues to inspire our nation.鈥�

Kembriah Parker says she is proud to step into that tradition. After her first time in command, she enjoyed the power behind pushing the throttle forward for takeoff and the satisfaction of a smooth landing.

鈥淗onestly, for a girl who avoids roller coasters and probably never will get on one, choosing to fly planes is a bold and beautiful leap that I鈥檓 proud I took.  I am incredibly grateful to be one of the first three students setting the standard for the 欧美高清 and LIFT Academy partnership.鈥�

While her goal this summer is to earn her private pilot license, she has a love for travel and wants to fly international routes for a commercial airline. Ironically, her inspiration began with a stop at Moton Field during a church tour.

鈥淚 went on a Freedom Tour with my church in 2017, and one of our stops was the Tuskegee Airmen Museum at Moton Field,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat visit changed everything for me. I was inspired by the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, how they were the standard-setters of their time, and I remember thinking maybe I can do the same. I bought a P-51 Mustang model from the gift shop that day, and I still have it as a daily reminder of the dream I set in motion. Now, eight years later, I鈥檓 here at 欧美高清, flying out of that same field, and making that dream a reality.鈥�

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