From 1941 to 1946, about 1,000 Black pilots trained at Tuskegee.
www.al.com
08/28/25
“There is no other feeling like it,” Isaiah Hand recalls about the moment last week when he was granted his private pilot’s license at Moton Field.
The 20-year-old Aviation Science major is the first student in nearly 80 years to earn this coveted credential at Tuskegee - as part of the university’s recently relaunched four-year
Aviation Science Degree Program - joining the rare air of the Tuskegee Airmen legacy.
Isaiah, a senior from Tallahassee, Florida, began the aeronautical ratings part of the degree program in January and opted to forego vacation to continue training during the 12-week summer session with this goal always in sight. 16 other students are currently progressing toward their license certifications, the first of four aeronautical ratings that students earn in the program.
“This is exactly the kind of impact we want to have on our students,” said Dr. Brown. “I spoke to Isaiah this morning. He stopped on his motorcycle on the way to class. One only has to look into his eyes to be clear about our purpose. Confident, excited, poised and ready to tackle the most complex problems our world has to offer. Like Isaiah, our students are excited about our Aviation Science Degree Program and ready to continue the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and serve our nation. To be clear, Tuskegee will continue to train and prepare our students to solve the world’s most complex problems and Isaiah is well on his way.”
Isaiah Hand stands in front of plane with program director Capt. Titus Sanders.
Isaiah is already underway with his next milestone, the instrument rating, which will be followed by a commercial pilot’s license and a commercial multi-engine rating. “I am a first-generation college student in my family,” he shared, “so in many ways this feels like uncharted territory.”
“His enthusiasm and excitement for both aviation and Tuskegee were very clear from day one,” said Capt. Titus Sanders, Aviation Science program director. “I am not surprised that he is the first of this year’s cohort to get his check ride,” he added, referring to the flight a student must complete to demonstrate complete mastery of all required skills and maneuvers alongside a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Pilot Examiner.