Spotlight on Jamail Larkins

YPNation is rounding out Black History Month by spotlighting an outstanding "Young Professional of Color" each day this week. Today's pick is Jamail Larkins. Having accumulated more than 1,500 hours of flight time, Larkin’s career, which took off at the age of 12, shows no signs of landing.
 
Why is the YPNation spotlight on Jamail Larkins?
Larkins turned his passion for flying into a career. Today he shares his story with youth about how he learned to fly, and about career opportunities in aviation and aerospace as the First Ambassador for Aviation & Space Education for the U.S. Department of Transportation, under which the Federal Aviation Administration falls. His passion for sharing his knowledge and experience with youth in his field is extraordinary, and YPNation is taking note of it.
 
When did Larkins get his feet in the game?
Larkins got his first taste of the high skies when he was 12 through the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). At 14-years-old, he became one of the youngest American pilots to fly solo. This achievement gave Larkins the opportunity to be the EAA’s National Spokesman for its youth education initiative, the Young Eagles Program. Being a product of the program, Larkin was a natural to promote it’s vision, and the possibilities available to aviation enthusiasts of all ages.
 
His next accomplishment: Larkins became the first and youngest student pilot to solo in a Cirrus SR20, a certified single-engine aircraft. He did this a day after his 16th birthday.
 
Larkins later attended college at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he launched the DreamLaunch Tour, a nationwide tour designed to educate students about entering the aviation industry. During the same time, he took on his second national spokesman position with Careers in Aviation, a non-profit organization that promotes and provides aviation opportunities to young people.
 
But he hasn't stopped there. Along with his ambassadorial duties, Larkins shares his love for aviation by appearing on air shows, hosting radio shows at aviation conventions, and penning columns for aviation publications.
 
What are Larkins other accomplishments?
-1,500 hours of total flight time in more than 36 different types of aircraft.
 
-Trained in airline simulators including the:

• Boeing 777
• Boeing 767
• Boeing 757
• McDonnell Douglas Super MD-80

 -Of the approximately 500 certified aerobatic pilots, less than a handful are black.
 
Larkins’ business and aviation accomplishments have been recognized by many organizations, including the FAA, the United States Space Camp, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Organization of Black Airline Pilots and The Franklin Institute.
 
He has also been featured by USA Today, Parade Magazine, Black Enterprise, CNN American Morning, Fox News Channel, The Late Show with David Letterman and Inc. Magazine, among others.

 
See Jamail in Action:
 

 
(Photo credit: Fly For Fun; C.C. 2.0)
 
Check out yesterday's profile on Vashtie Kola.