The second group of Red Tail Cadets to graduate the program in 2022 recently celebrated graduation and includes six members from Ferguson-Florissant School District high schools.
The residential six-week flight-training instruction introduces students to the aviation industry and to develops skills through classroom instruction, flight simulator training, daily in-aircraft flight training, financial literacy seminars, leadership training, and life-skills development, with the goal of setting them on the path towards a career in the aviation industry.Â
The Red Tail Cadet Program honors the heroic legacy of young African American pilots who trained at Tuskegee University and became known as The Tuskegee Airmen. The corps’ ranks included St. Louisans James L. McCullin, Hugh J. White and Lewis John Lynch. The local chapter is named after White, and McCullin was one of the first Black pilots killed in World War II.
Selected from a pool of applicants, the cadets were chosen based on their academic ability, community involvement, and their aptitude for success in a rigorous aviation program.
The Red Tail Cadet Program is sponsored by The Crossing, Elite Aviation, The Mann Family Foundation, Holland Law, Boeing, Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Spirit Jets, Ferguson-Florissant School District, and Undivided Wealth Management.
