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Tuskegee University student Isaiah Hand, 20, has made history by earning his private pilot’s license this summer. A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Hand is the first Tuskegee pilot certified since World War II, marking a powerful revival of the university’s storied aviation legacy.
Tuskegee University pilot program
Tuskegee’s aviation program relaunched in 2024 with $6.7 million in federal support. Based at Moton Field, the same airstrip where the Tuskegee Airmen trained, the program now prepares students for careers in commercial aviation, aerospace engineering, and meteorology.
Hand began ground school in January 2024. He took his first flight on June 2 and earned his license on August 21—exactly 80 days later. That timeline poetically mirrors the 80-year gap since Tuskegee last certified a pilot.
Isaiah Hand: From Engineering Student to Aviation Trailblazer
Originally enrolled in aerospace engineering, Hand pivoted to aviation after discovering the university’s new flight track. His decision quickly proved transformative…