Cason Brinkley heads to Tuskegee
By Brinda F. Willis, Ph.D.
JA Contributing Writer
On August 10, 2026, with his private pilot’s license carefully packed in his suitcase, Cason Brinkley headed to Tuskegee University to pursue a career in aviation.
A few days earlier, under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration’s designated pilot examiner Jackie Sanders, Brinkley successfully completed his “check ride”, flying from Batesville, MS to Olive Branch, MS.
Brinkley’s flight instructor, Ken Taylor, said: “I am so very proud of Cason because he has worked so hard as a young kid to prepare himself to become a pilot. He put in the work, beginning as a 16-year-old and following through to obtain his Private Pilot’s License at the age of 18. Cason is my first African American student to complete the training to become licensed. He is truly one of a very few to reach his final goal as a licensed pilot. He is now in the 1% of pilots who have gone on a solo flight (15 hours) at 16 years old and earned their Private Pilot License (PPL). This puts Cason ahead as he enters Tuskegee University’s Flight Training Program.”
Brinkley is pursuing his dream of becoming a commercial pilot by participating in Tuskegee University’s Air Training Program, in conjunction with Auburn University, where Captain Willie Billingslea (Flight Operations) will serve as Brinkley’s on-campus mentor as a member of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP).
Brinkley stated: “I am fulfilling my dreams to become an engineer as I begin my journey to eventually become a commercial pilot. I feel grateful to be able to set foot on the same ground as the Tuskegee Airmen did so many years ago. I feel I am making history just as the Tuskegee Airmen did so long ago. I also am grateful to everyone helping me along the way. I plan to put my best foot forward because I know hard work pays off and that I am stronger for having made it this far. Getting my Private Pilot License is just the beginning. Tuskegee will prepare me for the future.”
Brinkley is the son of Carl and Markeita Brinkley. He was born in Cleveland, MS, and graduated from Cleveland Central High School.
