Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour made history as the first Black woman aviator for the U.S. Marines, and also became the first Black woman combat pilot across the U.S. Armed Forces. Today, Armour is a motivational speaker and author and one of the faces of a new campaign aimed at recognizing the contributions of women. Armour was […]

Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Captain Stephanie Johnson is the first Black female captain for Delta Airlines, the second of her historic achievements as a pilot. Twenty years ago, Captain Johnson became the first Black female pilot for Northwest Airlines and last year, Delta promoted her to her current post. The Kent State University graduate caught the flying bug in […]

Rickey Smiley Morning Show

General Lloyd W. ‘Fig’ Newton is a retired U.S. Air Force four-star general who made history within the military branch. In 1974, General Newton became the first African-American member of the Air Force’s air demonstration squad, The Thunderbirds. Newton was born December 24, 1942 in Ridgeland, S.C. Newton’s parents enforced education in their home despite never […]

Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Isaiah Cooper, a 16-year-old Compton, Calif. high school student, achieved the first of two record-breaking feats last month. According to flight organizers who planned his first outing, Cooper is the youngest African-American pilot to fly across the United States. Cooper, a member of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, made the journey under the tutelage of instructor Robin […]

When some kids say they want to fly, they are wishing they could be superheroes. But when Isaiah Cooper said he wanted to fly, he meant behind the controls of an airplane. But the 14-year-old Compton, California native didn’t just want to learn how to fly, he wanted to set records. This week he did, […]

Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Ohio, often referred to as the birthplace of aviation, has battled with North Carolina over that distinction for many years. But for pioneering aviator Lonnie…

Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Kimberly Anyadike made history in 2009 after she completed a cross-country flight from Compton, Calif. to Newport News, Va. when she was just 15 years…