Monthly Update - June 2022
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” ― Colin Powell
On May 7th, we conducted our Powered Flight event at Centennial Airport. Four certified flight instructors excitedly flew with our thirty eager students. Mile High Flight (MHF) crewmember Willy Martinez and his team planned and executed the activities flawlessly. We were able to get twenty of our students airborne before the afternoon winds started to pick-up. Unfortunately, we had to cancel some of our later flights. We plan to honor our commitment and schedule those students who didn’t get a chance to fly later this summer. 

In addition, we interviewed all students who were eligible for Phase 2. It was an honor to learn more about the successes and aspirations of each. We proudly announced the selectees at the final Phase 1 event on June 4th at Owl Canyon. This year we are pleased to provider four Phase 2 scholarships. The recipients are: Nalani Fierro, Cedar Miera, Brielle Rodriguez, and Sienna Shille. These students will begin their training on Monday, June 6th. Congratulations!
Past and Future
Memorial Day Parade returns to D.C. with 'Top Gun'

First Lt. James H. Harvey III was a pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group, the famed African American Tuskegee Airmen. He had flown a host of American fighter planes, including an F-47 and F-51.

Read more
www.washingtonpost.com
Why this Pilot Gives Black Children Free Flights

Elementary school teacher and pilot, Jerome Stanislaus, talks about his hobby of flying with black children to teach them about airplanes and give them the representation he never saw. For Jerome Stanislaus, pilot training didn't seem like an option because he never saw a black pilot growing up. In fact, only 3% of commercial pilots currently flying are black. Stanislaus hopes by taking black children on free flights he can teach them about careers in air-traffic control, aircraft maintenance, and more.
MHF Ground School
Our voluntary twelve-hour ground school was a success. We finished our last session on May 28th. All fifteen students were eager to distinguish themselves, as we made the tough choices of who will continue to Phase 2 and earn a solo flight scholarship. We asked our ground school students to complete exit surveys and are pleased with the initial results. 

MHF graduate Kamia Bradley did a great job as our ground school instructor and received high marks from our students. Our goal has always been to encourage and support the next generation of pilots. Although we hope to have Kamia with us for a long time, her tenure with us may soon be coming to an end.
Kamia writes: 

“I just got accepted in the Skywest Cadet Program which means I have a guaranteed final interview with them as well as a ton of other benefits! Other benefits from the program: I get interview training from Skywest Pilots and domicile seniority after I’m hired. I also get some tuition reimbursement!”

Kamia will be our Chief Flight Instructor for our 2022 Phase 2 student(s). Phase 2 flight training will begin on June 6th at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, CO. We will provide updates regarding the training.
Red Tail Flight Academy
On May 21, MHF student Traye Jackson graduated from the Red Tail Flight Academy (RFA) at Stewart International Airport in Windsor, NY. The MHF Crew was there to congratulate him. Traye was one of the top performers of his inaugural class, providing leadership and support for his classmates, and was selected to give the graduation remarks on behalf of his class.
  
During this challenging nine month, all expenses paid training program, Traye earned his multi-engine commercial license. Due to his outstanding performance, he was selected to return next year to earn his Certified Flight Instructor’s License. He will also help train the next group of students to attend RFA.

It was an emotional experience for students and their supporters. This is something that we can all be proud of. Congratulations Traye!
Paying it Forward
MHF continues to emphasize the mentoring aspect of our program. We feel that it is essential to make ourselves available to our students after they leave the program. We will continue to provide guidance and support. Recently, MHF Crewmember Captain Darryl Searuggs flew with Kamia Bradley at Rocky Mountain Metro.  We are sure that Captain Searuggs shared some of his wisdom from thousands of hours of flight experience, while Kamia showed him some of the newest techniques in flight instruction.  “Paying it forward!”
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