Connecting the Community

Chappie James Flight Academy

Season 4 Episode 5 | 26m 10sVideo has Closed Captions

The General Daniel Chappie James Flight Academy mentors youth, using aviation as the key discipline.

07/22/2025

Connecting the Community

Chappie James Flight Academy

Season 4 Episode 5 | 26m 10sVideo has Closed Captions

The General Daniel Chappie James Flight Academy mentors youth, using aviation as the key discipline.

Host Rameca Vincent Leary welcomes the founders of the General Daniel Chappie James Flight Academy and explores how they build confidence in disadvantaged youth, using aviation as the key learning principle. The programs they provide aim to build a future workforce in the aerospace industry and to inspire good citizenship in our future generations.

07/22/2025

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Connecting the Community is a local public television program presented by WSRE PBS

Connecting the Community

Chappie James Flight Academy

Season 4 Episode 5 | 26m 10sVideo has Closed Captions

07/22/2025

Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback

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on WSRE PBS for the Gulf Coast. Hello, everyone. I'm Rameca Vincent Leary, and welcome to this edition of Connecting the Community. If you love the Hollywood blockbusters Top Gun and Top Gun Maverick, get ready for a homegrown Pensacola, Florida twist that targets youth. Oh, yes, the General Daniel Chappie James Junior Flight Academy has been in existence for nearly 30 years. Its mission is to mentor, motivate and build confidence in youth using aviation as the key learning discipline. Founded by four local aviators, the Academy honors its namesake, Chappie James Jr, the first four star African American U.S. Air Force general, to discuss this further. I'm happy to welcome captain Cliff Curtis, president of the Chappie James Flight Academy. He's joined by Mike Fox, former director of education and operations. Welcome, gentlemen. How are you?

Doing great. Thanks for all right. Looking good as well. Love those blazers. All right, Cliff, let's get the conversation started. How long has the flight academy been in existence? So a little bit of a backstory, if you will.

Yeah. So we started in the 1996. Is when we had our first camp. Summer camp is how it started. It was actually part of an organization that we and myself and Mike folks belong to called the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, formerly known as AUB, or Organization of Black Airline Pilots. And, while we were flight instructors back in the day, we just went out and started talking to some kids about some of the things that we did as pilots. And, through this organization, OB app, we were able to partake of a program that they had called Ace Academy, which stands for Aviation Career Enrichment Program. And that's how our academy really started off first. Let's talk about these for aviators, gentlemen. Let's start us off with that, because, hey, it takes a village is some. They say. Yeah. So we, we're all Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, aviators. And we I know Mike for almost 40 years now. So we've known we were in flight school together, and he can probably tell a little bit more about that. But, we all really met when we became flight instructors at any as Whiting Field. In the same squadron. And it was very unusual to have three African-American flight instructors in the same squadron as myself.

Mike, folks. And, Mike Griffin. Craig Abernathy, who was also the fourth founder, was in VTI six. So that's how we really got to know each other was through that experience as flight instructor. Okay, Mike.

So Cliff told me a little bit. But honestly, back in the day, as some would say, the Flight Academy met in various locations, right? We actually started out integrated a little Rock church. Okay. And that was one of the we belonged to that church. Cliff and I belong that church. And they had some open spaces, but at one point we were nomads. We were at the church. At one point we were hangers everywhere, just finding the space. But, we taught the lessons that really motivate children. You know, United Parcel Service, airlines, you are retired. All those packages you go to sleep at night dreaming about boxes? Yes, yes.

Your experience with that? Well, the reason why I picked ups believe it in that because, a lot of people would ask, why didn't you go to American United? I was a former accountant, and I actually read their financial statements, and they were pretty strong company. So, it was a joy to fly for them. Awesome.

We'll get back to you in just a moment. So, Cliff, one of the biggest things that we know that the actual locations have changed over time. But where is the physical building now? It's located at 1608 Martin Luther King Drive. Right where the former home of General James, and his family grew up. There's also a museum located at that spot. So we kind of, are married together, in a sense, sharing the same facility. Now, a lot of our viewers are wondering. Admission process. Walk us through that for the academy. Well, honestly, we don't really have an admissions policy, because what we try to do is we try to open up the tent to any kid, boy or girl that wants to learn about aviation. So we've been operating on a first come, first serve basis for a number of years. Now the camp is kind of grew a little differently. And, we grew up into about 200 kids on a waiting list. So we did have to develop some kind of policy in order to, have kids be able to partake, particularly of the camp. And that's still kind of on a first come, first serve basis. We just use a a time stamp when they email us, and we just take the kids based on when they email us, pressing interest in the particularly the camp. Now, I love the word free, folks. The camp is absolutely free. Is there an age limit for anyone wanting to participate? And over the summer for the week long camp? How many students can it hold? Well, that's a great question. So it's free and for the camp because it involves actual flying for the kids. We limit the age from 13 to 17 years old for that particular experience. Now, our other programs we use, we've had kids as young as eight all the way up through 17 through the high school age. But the camp is a little different. Absolutely.

Okay, Mike. So we know about the camp, but a day in the life. You are the former director of education at operations. So give us a breakdown of what these youngsters could expect during a week. And we know that Stem programs are prevalent. Science, technology.

Engineering.

Mathematics. Elaborate on that, please. Well, of course we talk about the Stem information. We use aviation as a tool. So of course we learn about Bernoulli's principle. Parts of the airplane, why an airplane flies. Different things like that. But we also teach life skills. Things that make them better.

Students. And we basically destroy the myth of flying. A lot of people are afraid to fly. But if you explain it, then, they feel more comfortable with it. But if I could mention about Bernoulli's principle again, the ages of 13 to 17. Bernoulli's principle is college level information, and they pick it up quickly. We challenge the children, and then they they respond. They do a great job with it. Interestingly, it's not just a one week camp and it's all done. So there are other things that happen throughout the course of a calendar year. What are they?

Monthly classes? The Captain Curtis just had a, glider class, things like that. It could be a financial information class. Just things that are that will peak their interest and also enhance their information about aviation. Love that.

Okay, Cliff, back to you. Because we sent a videographer over to the camp, and I will tell you, let's focus on classroom instruction and what happens after that. Right.

So the camp is focused on aviation. How like, makes it how and why airplanes fly. Because the kids that really come to us are kids that really don't have the means, or the parents don't have the means to to give them a quality summer program. That's why we keep it free. So the kids that come through our summer camp usually have never, ever been on an airplane before. Commercially or otherwise. But we give them tools and information so throughout the week. So they learn about Bernoulli's principle and parts of an airplane, you know, how does lift work? Gravity, thrust, drag, what all of that means. And we give them hands on experience to be able to not only just learn about that in a book, but we have a wind tunnel that teaches how lift works, and we have other means and our flight simulators that kind of give the kids an experience about what will happen on graduation day, which will be their actual flight, because we know that if they can understand the principles behind the science of flying, by the time they go flying, it's a no brainer. Okay, Mike, we need more information on this flight simulator. I am intrigued. So there are probably a lot of youngsters that will take a seat and say, hey, where do I start? Well, about the simulator. So you actually have two types. We have a desk type where it's basically a computer and system, but we also have the motion, six axis computer. We're actually with a roll and, manipulate the yoke. It actually moves the whole chassis of the, so it's up there inside aircraft turbulence. Right. And we also have VR goggles with it also, but we haven't used those yet. We're in the process.

What are those? Please explain to our viewing audience. It expands the field of vision. So with the. Yeah. With the with the vision of the, as you look out to the airplane, you see one side. But if with the VR goggles, you can actually look and look behind you and you can see all aspects or as they say, through the airplane, that type of thing. That is fascinating. Cliff. As I said earlier, it takes a village and I understand that you have some amazing community partners. Will you explain to our viewing audience how important that is to have people believe in your dream? It may be mentioned.

Some of them. Yeah. It's very important that, we have community partners who believe in what we're doing. Who want to be a part of enhancing and building the kids in this community. And, they've been some of them have been with us since the very beginning. Florida Power and Light has been a big partner with us, as well as Civil Quarter and the. Your house.

Mr. Ray Rustenburg, who owns that? Has been very, very generous in, allowing us to be able to, to, to really have lunch for our kids. There's something as simple as love adventure is, is is is hugely important. The EAA, which was the experimental aircraft, Aircraft Owners Association. They're the ones who fly the kids around. These are pilots who donate their planes and their their fuel to, to ensure that we can have this experience free for kids. And there are many more. I'm sure there are. I love that. Now, Mike, breakdown of some of these speakers who come before the group to speak to the youngsters. Are they local?

Yes. We have, chief of police will come out and speak with the campers. We also have, one year we had Roy Jones junior went up to the flight line and had them talk about his plane. We talked about, the, the restaurants that we go to. We teach the children or talk to the children about not just being a consumer, but actually being an owner. So when they go to a restaurant, they actually meet the owner of the restaurant. So think about there's different ways of also having an income and so things like that. We have a lot of, great experiences with the children. And the former blue Angel.

Mr. Keith Hoskins has come out and talked to the kids about money in banking, financial literacy. So it's just some more than aviation is it's really, life lessons and life skills that they can learn from our academy. Now, we've been putting up the website periodically. So yeah, parents out there, you can definitely visit that to find out more. But seriously, future aspirations for the Flight Academy. New location.

What's on the horizon? There's a lot on the horizon. We're continuing to build our programs, at the Flight Academy. We currently have a brand new program, that I believe that will be, speaking to one of our students about. It's a it's an actual FAA ground school program. And this will be a program where a young person can really learn how to become a pilot. That's their first step in becoming a pilot. So any advice for a parent that might be on the fence say, hey, I know it's free, but should Johnny or Jill actually do this, what would you tell them? Come and visit us. You know, we're just a phone call away, an email away, and, come out and see what we do. We'd be happy to give you a tour of our facility and talk to you about our programs. And, how your child could benefit. I love that. I know you're sticking around. Thank you so much. If I can add to that, yes. We tell the parents, don't just ask your child. Did they have fun?

Is what they learn. And you'll be surprised what they will report back. So great advice from both of you gentlemen. Thank you so much. All right, folks, recently we had a spectacular time at Sri's Be My Neighbor Day. This family friendly event, held yearly, focuses on early education and health and safety while fostering the neighborly values of Mister Rogers. More than 40 community organizations participated, and children explored educational activities and met Daniel Tiger from Daniel Tiger's neighborhood. Enjoy the memories. We'll be back with more right after this. Hello, everyone. During this segment, it's a pleasure to have Cliff Curtis back for another segment. He's president of the Chappie James Flight Academy. He's joined by former Flight Academy student Mackenzie Peterson and Kai Jefferson Flight Academy student mentor. Welcome to all of you. So excited to have you back live. Now we got to talk about the relationships, right. How did you meet these two amazing young people? Well, of course they were part of our flight academy, students in the past there. So they signed up to want to be a part of their camp. And that's how I first got to meet them both. Awesome. But their bubbly personalities and their go to kinds of atmosphere that they've created not only for themselves and for other students. One of the main reasons where you you've pretty much latched on to them. You're not letting go. Yeah. So what we what we typically find out during particularly during the summer camp is, you get to know the kids and you get to know who kind of surfaces to the top to, be potential leaders. And that's one of the other aspects of our camp, is not only learning about flying, but we also build leaders. And that's why we bring them back as mentors and as junior staff members. Okay.

McKenzie, million dollar question. What sparked your interest in the flight Academy? Because just this class said you were a former student. So tell us, the diversity, the culture and the simulators. That's the it was an amazing opportunity and they just have so much to offer. Now, listen, when you first sat in one of those simulators, what was your first thought? Crash the plane. Oh, no. Crash the plane. It's a simulator, right?

It's a simulator. Now we have some amazing images of you. You are a U.S. Air Force aim high flight academy scholarship recipient. Now, that's a lot to say, but, McKenzie, tell us about that. The application process. We want to know more. What is a three week, program? And they offer flight training, ground school and simulators as well. And the application process? I found out through Mr. Curtis, you know, coming out, and they just offer a lot. Did you have to write an essay or turn in names as far as references? Yes, ma'am. So we write a essay about ourselves and our interests in aviation. McKenzie's been really kind of modest, quite modest. Folks. We see that it's a very competitive program. This program is nationwide. It not only includes high school students like McKenzie, but active duty Air Force people really up against active. So for someone to get accepted into this program is amazing. So how many people would you guesstimate were vying for positions in the academy? Well, the same high flight academy, that the Air Force sponsors. They have hundreds of kids at different locations around the country. She chose to go out to California because she's never been out to California. And she had her experience at, California Air Aeronautical University in Bakersfield, California. So it's super competitive. All right, McKenzie, we'll get back to you in just a moment. Kai, listen. Flight academy student mentor. How did you meet Cliff from your perspective? And how long ago were you a flight academy student? Okay, so I took an entrance in aviation, and I was just looking around at different things. I could find, to be more involved into aviation. So I found out that James Flight Academy was just about the only academy that actually lets their students fly. So, I applied, and that's how I met Mr. Cliff.

Oh, I love that. Now, you're a high school student, is that correct?

Yes, ma'am. Which high school do you attend?

Booker T Washington. Oh, right.

Right around the corner. Okay. Now, as a student mentor, I would imagine, because we know that the one week flight academy all well and good, but throughout the course of the year, other things occur. So how do you mentor people outside of the academy? So I'm a high school, I'm in aviation maintenance academy, and we just do projects like we build rockets or just many things like that. So I go around and, basically help them guide them to what they need to know. And, yeah, sounds like you're incorporating the Stem program. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Building the rocket. How long does it take to do that? Just out of curiosity. We spent about two weeks, maybe. All right, but you got the job done, didn't you? Okay, Mackenzie, back to you. And I know Cliff is going to chime in, so, are you planning to pursue a career in aviation? Yes.

Of course. Tell us about the path to get there. Will it be through the US Armed forces?

Yes. I plan to attend college for your college at Siu Southern Illinois University and do ROTC in there. And then go as an officer in the Air Force. Oh, I love that. So you're already on the trajectory. And if a letter of recommendation is needed, cliff, I'm sure that you would be happy to provide one. Yeah, no doubt about that issue. Has a fantastic aviation program. And, one of the first African-American pilots at United Airlines graduated from civilian, because I knew that or not, she probably didn't. And, if my recommendation doesn't give her any horsepower. Mr.. Bill Norwood's is a good friend of mine. Certainly will. Oh.

I'm certain.

Yes, absolutely. But we want to highlight some of the what we call primary areas of focus for the flight academy. Now, I already told us, viewing audience, that in this flight academy, students actually have an opportunity to go out to an airfield and actually sit in a plane. Do they fly the plane? Yeah, they get to manipulate the flight controls with a certified pilot, of course. They're with them. But that's the whole point is, if they go through the camp, they go on their flight and they actually get to fly a little bit of the airplane during that experience. So these aviation basics, each student has an opportunity to go up. Is that right? That's correct. And how long are they in the air per se. It depends. Like this year we had, almost 30 students in the class and there were ten airplanes available, at Russell Field through the EAA. So the students were able to go up a little bit longer this time because we had ten airplanes. So roughly anywhere from about 15 minutes to 25 minutes for each student, which is a pretty considerable amount of time. Oh, I love that. Kai, I'm coming back to you. What motivates you to aim high or reach for the stars? As some may say, is there a person? Definitely. The champion is Flight Academy. They teach a lot about Chappie James, his motivation to become a pilot and how he succeeded. Makes me look at him and like, wow, I could really go somewhere with, my motivation for becoming an airline pilot. I love that. They're so well-spoken. Speaking of which, communication skills. And I see that as one of the main areas of focus. Public speaking is essential because in this world, if we have the book knowledge and we're not able to actually relate that to others, there might be a problem. So please stress to us and our viewing audience how important that is. That's a huge component of our, summer camp, public speaking, because we break the ki the kids off into teams on day one, and they pick a team leader and they choose a project, whether it's parts of the airplane, Bernoulli's principle, how and why airplanes fly. General Chappie James, it's history. And each kid has to have a speaking part, of their project to be done on graduation day in front of the parents and the guests, and they do a fantastic job every year. Oh, I could just imagine. I'm envisioning myself, Mackenzie, right there in the audience. Speaking of which, I asked Kai about high school. Are you in high school or have you graduated? Yes.

Well, I'm a senior. All right. Are you at Booker T Washington's? What time do you all take any classes together? No, ma'am. But that's okay. You're great friends. So who or what has motivated you to achieve your dreams? You're doing so much already. My family and Mr. Curtis have. They have been very motivational to me and allowed me to reach somewhere I thought I could never reach. McKenzie.

Self-motivated.

I had to go. I got a call from a grandmother one day, and they were out taking a flight with a friend or something like that, because she had that desire to continue to on that path, to be a pilot. And I had to go time out because I needed to make sure that she had a viable program where she could have some serious learning and training and a path forward from there. And that's how the Aim High Flight Academy came in. She is definitely a true self-starter. Now, McKenzie, when I mention General Daniel Chappie James Jr. The name, the man, the legacy, what comes to mind and how does he inspire you today? Well, he's African-American and most African Americans, like they don't have that type of ambition to me. So I just found it amazing that he had that opportunity and allows others that is African American or not, that can do that. I love that. Cliff, one of the things that we mentioned regarding the five areas, financial literacy, that is a key component for anyone flight academy or elsewhere in life, right? Yes, it is. And, that kind of falls back on, you know, how I grew up and maybe Mr.. Folks grew up, you know, we didn't get that component in school, about finances and how important it is for your life and your future family's life. So we we thought that was a very good element or a focal point that we can kind of inject into this whole process as we have these kids captured in our program, that we can give them a little bit more than what they were expecting with just aviation. All right. Well said. And the Academy is shaping well-rounded individuals. Let me say real quickly that Kai is just as motivated as McKinsey. I believe it, and he gives me he sends me texts about and asked me questions about aviation that I have to go steady for. All right. I think it's time for me to go study as well. Thank you all. Oh, so very much.

So proud of you. Now, I'd like to thank all of our guests for joining us. I'm Rameca Vincent Leary, and remember to keep it locked in right here on WSRE PBS for the Gulf Coast.