Pilots and Flight Engineers

Pilots and flight engineers hold careers that play a crucial role in the aviation industry. They are responsible for everything that happens with an aircraft. From pre-checks and take off, to in-flight operations, and on to the landing, pilots are in control. In addition, they fly a variety of aircraft including airplanes and helicopters.

Black Pilots and Flight Engineers

Black Pilots and flight engineers make up a relatively small portion of the occupational personnel. The vast majority of these positions go to members of other races. In fact, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 94% of the country’s personnel in these positions (155,000) identified as white. More on that in just a moment.

In regards to blacks in these positions, only 3.4% identified as Black in any way. The number identifying as black only was much lower. More specifically, that number was around 1.2%. At the surface, a little over 10% of pilots and engineers together listed as Black, Latinx (5.0%), or Asian (2.2%).

Racial Identification

It’s important to understand the system of racial identification used here. First, it is self-identification. This means that survey participants identify their own race based on personal beliefs. And, second, individuals often fall into two categories at the same time. In short, a person might be Black or White and Hispanic at the same time. Or, they may ignore their Latin connections or claim only them. This is why numbers often appear not to add up in strict categories.

Black

Just as the figure for those identifying as White only is lower 89.4% (vs 94%), the number for Black only pilots and flight engineers is reduced. From 3.4% identifying as black in some way, the 1.2% pertains to Black only. Essentially, this is the “Black Non-Hispanic” category that we see in the census data. These are people of African origin that do not claim Hispanic or Latin origins in addition to that.

LatinX

LatinX is a newly coined word used to refer to people of Latin cultural or ethnic identity in the United States. In a world possessed by a need for gender neutrality, someone decided that existing language was (or could be) considered offensive. Therefore, they used an X to replace the O/A ending of Latino and Latina. Mainstream media along with elements of social media took that and ran with it so here we are. In short, LatinX simply refers to those who identify with Latin cultural or ethnic heritage. 

United States Pilots and Flight Engineers

Race	Percentage of Personnel	Average Income	Average Age
White	89.4%	$109,760	46
Hispanic or Latino	5.1%	$106,213	44
Unknown	2.1%	$111,294	42
Asian	2.0%	$101,976	43
Black or African American	1.2%	$106,345	42
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	-	-

What Pilots and Engineers Do

Depending on the aircraft or role, pilot duties can vary greatly. However, there are some things that pilots do that are pretty much the same across the board. Here’s a short list…

• Pilots perform aircraft inspections before and after flight.
• They are responsible for choosing safe and efficient flight routes.
• Create and record accurate documentation of operations.
• They must communicate with the required agencies and agency employees.
• If passengers are involved, pilots ensure their safety and comfort along with that of the crew.

Requirements

First of all, it’s important to note that pilots can be either private or commercial. Before becoming a commercial pilot, an individual has to first meet the private pilot requirements. Commercial pilots must hold a Commercial Pilot License (CPL). This qualifies them to be paid for piloting an aircraft. In addition to holding a Private Pilot Certificate, CPL seekers must…

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Hold a valid 2nd Class Medical Certificate.
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.

Education

As you may have already guessed, all the education that is required is a high school diploma. Of course, more education usually means more opportunity. But fortunately, a lack of higher education isn’t a barrier to entry into the pilot arena.

Why are There So Few Black Pilots?

So, I have to ask the question; why are there so few black pilots?

Is it about the money? We can’t say that pilots don’t make an attractive salary. For example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average monthly airline pilot/aviation engineer salary is over $10,000.

Even better, a pilot’s monthly salary can go as high as around $17,000.

Considering that the median black household income in 2020 was $45,870 for the entire year, I’d say that income would be attractive to the average black person.

So, if it isn’t about money, why aren’t more blacks entering these fields? We talked about the requirements of the jobs. Those requirements aren’t anything that anyone would say that the average black person isn’t capable of meeting.

I mentioned education earlier as well. The required education for pilot is a high school diploma. Well, according to Census data, 88% of Blacks have a high school diploma. So, education can’t be the barrier to entry.

That brings the reason there are so few black pilots and flight engineers to basically one of two things; an overall lack of desire OR some unseen or not so obvious factors. I’m guessing that, either way, more education about the benefits and potential of the fields would be helpful in increasing that number.

Airline jobs are expected to grow 12% in the next few years. And, along with those jobs will come flexible work hours with a steadily increasing salary. Pilots also enjoy some lifestyle benefits, such as visiting different places around the country and world.

Maybe that’s where we start. Perhaps we can begin by helping to make sure that our youth are aware of the incredible opportunities that are out there for them.

Peace and Blessings!