Breaking Down Barriers to an aviation career

Shakeel Pearson, 29, grew up on the South Side of Chicago with no inkling he would ever be a pilot. But the financial support of Breaking Down Barriers (BDB), a Dallas-based non-profit foundation, has put him on track to become a professional aviator.

Thanks to a BDB flight scholarship, Pearson earned his private pilot’s certificate during the summer of 2024 and is now working on his instrument rating. His goal is an Air Transport Pilot rating and employment with a major airline.

Pearson is one of the first eight students to earn flight scholarships from Breaking Down Barriers, an aviation support foundation created in January 2024 by former American Airlines Chairman and CEO Doug Parker and his wife Gwen.

“My wife Gwen and I came up with the vision to provide flight training scholarships for Dallas-area youth toward the end of my career,” he said. “I was aware that only 3.5% of U.S. airline pilots identify as Black and only .5% identify as Black female airline pilots.”

“I didn’t know how expensive it was to become a pilot,” he continued. “And how incredibly hard it is to get anyone to help you with it. And I realized that this is one of those barriers you hear about for people who just don’t have the economic means to do it. So, we began a scholarship program in the Dallas area.”

Breaking Down Barriers began operation in September 2023 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the leadership of CEO Dana Donati, a long-time aviation professional who has led two airline-owned flight schools. She holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and is a certificated flight instructor.

Donati said she began her search for flight scholarship candidates by visiting schools and non-profit organizations in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. She also turned to the Commemorative Air Force, which is based at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD).

“They bring in kids and this allows us to engage with them,” Donati said. “And our focus is also now on the colleges of Dallas and local high schools. We have developed connections to the guidance counselors.”

Currently eight students are receiving flight training under the program.

“We are starting small and plan to support 12 to 15 scholarship flight students this year,” Donati said.

Donati said the Breaking Down Barriers formula is different from other organizations.

“No one is doing what we are doing,” she said. “We are taking them all the way through the process to be a commercial pilot.”

Pearson said he was not the typical candidate for a flight scholarship. He had no opportunity to be involved with aircraft and flying as a teenager in a Chicago suburb. After graduation from high school, he joined the Army National Guard and eventually completed three years of service in it and an additional six years in the Air National Guard. In uniform he was trained to do aircraft structural maintenance and finally had a chance to fly.

“The very first flight I was like a kid in a candy store,” he said.

He was also able to work his way through college and earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in Industrial Management with an emphasis in electronics.

He came to Dallas three years ago for business reasons and heard about the scholarship program last year.

“I attended a meeting of candidates and took an aptitude test,” he said. “Then I had an interview with board members. I told them I was not involved in aviation at the time but I mentioned my National Guard duty. I said I had always been fascinated with planes and flying. Every step of the way, I kept saying this is too good to be true. No way. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking I’m going to wake up.”

Pearson was selected for a flight scholarship and began training April 1, 2024, with Parrish Aviation Academy at Dallas Executive Airport.

“April and May were not good weather months,” he recalled. “We started in for real in late June and from there we had four or five days a week of training. I flew with a handful of instructors but mainly with Ricky Telles.”

He passed his private pilot check ride Aug. 1, 2024.

The Parkers are funding most of the scholarship program expenses themselves.

“As the program develops we will seek additional financial backing,” Doug Parker said. “We don’t accept applications. If we did, we would have thousands. We are going where the need is. Trying to see people who have no idea that this might be for them. When we first started, one of the gentlemen on our board said the flight students are not going to believe you. The fun part is when you do find them.”

“Piloting is an extremely difficult and noble profession that requires a diverse set of skills and intellect,” he continued. “Unfortunately, the systemic and financial barriers that exist have made it more difficult for some to succeed than others. Aviation can’t truly have the best pilots navigating the skies if these barriers exist. Breaking Down Barriers is committed to removing all barriers to aviation that exist for underrepresented young adults, including the financial barriers to entry. We believe there is an enormous opportunity to transform the lives of underrepresented groups and their communities. Our work will begin with recruiting and retaining the best in the Dallas, Texas, area before extending our mission nationwide to all minorities and to other aviation professions.”

For more information: BreakingDownBarriers.org
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