Young Compton pilots make aviation history

Jet, Nov 8, 2004 by Melody K. Hoffman

Two daring young boys jumped off their bicycles and hopped into an airplane to pilot their way into history.

At a mere 11 years old, Jimmy Haywood is the youngest Black pilot to make an international round-trip flight, and 14-year-old Kenny Roy is the world's youngest Black pilot licensed to fly solo after they flew from Compton, CA, to Canada during a recent three-day adventure.

The history-making journey is by far an enormous feat, but you wouldn't know it by speaking with these two. Unfazed by the significance, both have brushed it off as another day of doing what they love to do.

With a certified flight instructor at his side and Kenny in the backseat, Jimmy piloted the Cessna 172, a single-engine plane, for l0 hours each way between Southern California (Compton/Woodley Airport) and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. "I stopped at airports, got fuel and when we got there we went to the hotel and slept and then the next day we went right back to the airport," said Jimmy, who sat on plenty of cushions to see over the dashboard.

Asked if he was afraid to fly out of the country, perhaps like a typical 11-year-old should be, Jimmy quickly answered, "No, I wasn't scared because at the airport you train first, then you go for lessons and I was training for two years."

While in Canada, teenager Kenny completed his historic mission by executing stalls, spins and spiral dives to earn his license to fly solo. He said it was a breeze.

In the United States the legal minimum age to be licensed to fly is 16. However, in Canada the minimum age is 14. Kenny said he didn't want to wait two more years to prove himself, so he pursued his license in Canada.

To celebrate his accomplishment, when he landed several awaiting Canadian air pilots doused Kenny with water, an aviation tradition.

"I didn't want to stop flying because I knew I couldn't fly here solo," said Kenny, who soloed a two-seater Cessna 152.

In order to fly solo in Canada, Kenny was required to pass a physical and flew beforehand with a Canadian-certified instructor to prove he was competent. Then he went on to study Canadian Aviation rules to pass the required Canadian Pre-Solo Aeronautical Test, which he mastered in just 48 hours.

"I studied all day and night," said Kenny, who says his favorite movie is Soul Plane. "It was kind of hard, but I knew if I didn't I wouldn't have been happy with myself, because I would have come to Canada for nothing."

The young pilots said the greatest experience of their trip was seeing the sights of nature's mass collage of green trees, mountains and the ocean.

The boys' talent is fostered through training in the youth aviation program at the Compton-based Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum, where every day they are taught to dream big and work hard toward their goals. Robin Petgrave, pilot, founder and director of the museum, is instrumental in preparing these young men for success in aviation.

"We call it Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum because we knew these kids before they set this record," Petgrave told JET.

"This thing is really about two kids who come from a fairly disadvantaged neighborhood. These two kids took it upon themselves; they had a dream and they came down to the museum and worked for it. They got nothing for free; they earned it. They actually have to sign a contract to not cut class, not do drugs or gang bang or anything like that. They were able to accomplish their dreams around all of these challenges," he said.

Aside from writing flight plans and obtaining passports, to prepare for the trip Jimmy and Kenny had to write letters to seek sponsorship to finance the trip because the museum doesn't receive funding.

"We started to plan the whole trip three months ago, with the donations and stuff. I wrote letters about the explorer program and how my dream was to solo and how I needed donations and support," said Kenny, who hopes to become a commercial jet pilot.

"It's not like Kenny and Jimmy really needed to do extra flights or anything like that," explains Petgrave. "The preparation was trying to raise funds. We didn't raise enough money; we still came up short," said Petgrave who graciously uses money he earns from his company, Celebrity Helicopters, to help support the youth programs. "This is the most effective, real, credentialed program you'll ever see that has no backing."

As part of the adventure, the young aviators returned during the Compton Air Fair to family and friends. Both Jimmy and Kenny said their favorite part of the trip was being greeted by their idol, legendary Tuskegee Airman Lee Archer.

Archer was at the Compton Air Fair with the members of the Tuskegee Airmen--America's Black pilots during World War II. They performed a re-creation of a typical World War II bomb run using a DC-3, two Stearmen bi-planes and Archer was in the P-51 Mustang flying cover. This reunion flight was a first.

Two years ago, the Compton Air Fair piqued Jimmy's interest in flying. "When I saw all the cool airplanes, I joined 2-3 days later so that I could be an explorer at the after-school program. In order to fly you have to work or you can do community service, then once you get 115 museum dollars, not real money, you get to go on your first flight," says Jimmy, who wants to fly fighter jets in the Navy and "be just like Lee Archer."