Black-Owned Flight School In Metro Atlanta Pledges $1 Million To Train 1,000 Diverse Pilots

With a shrinking talent pool for pilots, Lookup Flight Academy hopes to fill the gap with diverse applicants.

A Black-owned flight school in Metro Atlanta has pledged a million dollars to get more diverse pilots in the air.

Owned by Michael Ojo, Lookup Flight Academy is Gwinnett County’s first Black-owned flight school. Started in 2023, Ojo’s mission remains the same: to train and inspire pilots to take flight.

Now, this mission has grown even stronger in the new year. Ojo has announced a million-dollar scholarship program for aspiring pilots to join the academy and earn their licenses. For him, breaking down this monetary barrier is one way to get more people into an industry that has historically looked one way.

“When you don’t see someone who looks like you in a pilot uniform, chances are you’re not even thinking about it,” Ojo said to WSB-TV.

Given Lookup Flight Academy’s recent Part 141 certification, the federal recognition also opens more grant and financial aid opportunities for prospective students. Through its nonprofit funding, this money can go toward scholarships, especially for pilots of color.

“It’s about ending the generational cycle of poverty that plagues Black and brown communities,” added Ojo.

These scholarships will tremendously help train pilots from underserved backgrounds. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, nonwhite pilots remain scarce. For Black people specifically, those working in the commercial airline industry account for 5% of all working pilots.

The million-dollar pledge will spread across the next two decades, offering a lucrative and exciting career pathway for generations to come. One student, Troi Miller, has already taken advantage of this opportunity. Her entrance into flight school is especially relevant, as gender disparities remain relevant. According to figures listed by Women in Aviation International, women represent 10% of all commercial pilots.

While the barriers persist, Miller refuses to let the glass ceiling hold her back. As others join her cohort at Lookup Flight Academy, she hopes to lead the charge for women of color guiding the skies.

“The sky knows no colors,” Miller said. “It shouldn’t have any limitations.”