Tuskegee Airmen

Only about 2% of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are Black. A group of men, inspired by the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, is trying to change that by highlighting careers in aviation. A KCUR reporter visited Red Tail Academy to learn about why that number is so low.

Only 2% of pilots and aviation engineers are Black, data shows. Red Tail Academy is enrolling Black young adults in an effort to grow that number and to take advantage of the benefits of careers in the aviation industry.

Accomplished Brig. Gen. Charles McGee made a home in Kansas City after retiring from the Air Force in 1973. He flew fighter jets in three wars, and later managed the downtown airport as a civilian.