Ryan Garner Becomes Youngest Black Pilot in North Carolina
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Ryan Garner, a 17-year-old from North Carolina, has made history as the youngest Black pilot to get his license at Concord’s Goose Creek Airport. Garner’s journey to becoming a pilot wasn’t planned.
He originally wanted to be part of the ground crew, helping planes on the ground. However, after talking to a Delta Airlines pilot about flight school, he decided to aim higher and become a pilot. “I actually never wanted to be a pilot at first.
I wanted to be a grounds crew member who would bring in the planes or marshal them in. I got to talking with a Delta pilot about flight school, and that’s how I got into it,” Garner shared with WSOC-TV.
The City of Concord celebrated Garner’s achievement during the week of July 12 with an official proclamation from Mayor Dusch. Garner’s mother, Melissa Dixon, is very proud of him and believes he is paving the way for future pilots.
“He’s the footprint … he is actually the footprint to future generations to come and say it’s possible. I trust his ability,” Dixon told WCNC. “I trust what he’s capable, actually, of doing. So yes, I am willing to go up and get that experience and just see life on a different level.”
Garner dreams of flying for a major airline one day. His journey could be made easier by programs from airlines like United, Delta, and Southwest that are working to include more women and minorities as pilots.
Retired Air Force Colonel and author Eileen Bjorkman has written about these programs. She noted that United Airlines’ first class of the Unite Aviate program in 2023 included 80% women or minorities.
In a field mostly made up of white men, this increase in diversity is a welcome change. Bjorkman addressed some conservatives’ doubts about non-white pilots in her op-ed for the Chicago Sun-Times, explaining that the strict requirements of 1,500 flight hours and significant financial investment ensure only the best candidates succeed.
For Garner, his love for aviation started early. “I have always loved it (aviation) since I was a kid…It’s a little adrenaline rush coming into the plane…I want to take it to the majors and go to the airlines,” he told WCNC.