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Pioneers Pave
the Way The obstacles that blacks faced were so great that pioneer black aviator Bessie Coleman, the first black American to become a licensed pilot, went to France for her pilot training. Coleman received her license in 1922. Her brief career as a barnstormer came to a tragic end in 1926, when she died in an aircraft accident at the age of 33. Coleman inspired many others. In 1929 a small group of flying enthusiasts led by William J. Powell organized the Bessie Coleman Aero Clubin Los Angeles to encourage blacks to enter aviation. Powell dedicated his 1934 book Black Wings to Coleman. The Challenger Air Pilots’ Association, Chicago’s first black flying club, was also inspired by Coleman. Black Pilots Go the Distance In the 1930s, black stunt pilots performed at numerous air shows. Some black aviators set their sights on distance records. In 1932 pilot James Herman Banning and mechanic Thomas C. Allen became the first black aviators to fly across the continent. Their historic journey took 41 hours and 27 minutes of flight time. Other pilots, such as C. Alfred Anderson and Dr. Albert E. Forsythe, used long-distance flights as a way to promote interracial harmony and to demonstrate the skill of black pilots. In 1933 Anderson and Forsythe flew from Atlantic City to Los Angeles and back, the first round-trip transcontinental flight by black pilots. In 1934 they organized their “Good Will Flight” from Miami to Nassau, the first ever by a landplane, then hopscotched among Caribbean islands. PREVIOUS PAGE | VIEW IMAGES FROM THIS SECTION |
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