A 17-year-old boy becomes the youngest Black pilot in the United States.
As the youngest Black pilot in American history, Gabriel Carothers, 17, has created history.
The youngest Black person to ever fly alone is Gabriel Carothers, a student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who just finished his private pilot check ride.
Gabriel said flying a plane has been his favorite hobby since he was a child. His enthusiasm was further stoked when, at the age of eight, he had the chance to operate an airplane in flight for the first time during a “Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles” event held at Moriarty Airport in New Mexico.
He remarked, “I was just thinking about flying and doing what I like to do every day, not really thinking about making history.”
Even if I’m not aware of it, days like these cause me to truly feel and think about it. I’ve been training and going to ground school for the past four or five years, and I wake up every morning knowing that I get to look forward to things like my check ride,” he said.
He built his own aircraft simulator at the age of 14 after conducting independent research and learning everything from programming to design. Gabriel claimed that his enthusiasm was sparked by his father, Alex Carothers, a veteran pilot in the US Air Force.
It may be fascinating. “Grab your attention,” and it did for me. Accordingly, that was my first encounter with an airplane,” Carothers stated. “I was “bitten by the bug,” as we say. For me, it took off. I thought this was a fun professional route, and I can earn money doing it, but it’s more enjoyable,” he continued.
Carothers is currently a member of General Lloyd “Fig” Newton local chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, where he helps teach the youth and adults the basics of flight at STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) events.
He said he plans to soar even higher as he wants to learn to fly vintage aircraft and participate in airshows and follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the Air Force.
“Leaving a trail behind and leaving a path for other kids to follow really lightens up my heart, and to make sure that they have a future no matter what they do,” he said.
