North Carolina Black Teen Ryan Garner Makes History With Private Pilot License At 17

Ryan Garner, 17, of Concord, North Carolina, recently made history by becoming the youngest Black person in the state to obtain a private pilot license at Goose Creek Airport.

The history maker is a rising senior student in the aviation/aerospace engineering program at West Cabarrus High School. Garner told WCNC Charlotte that he’s been passionate about aviation since childhood. He shared that after acquiring his private pilot license, he intends to “take it to the majors and go to the airlines.”

“It’s a little adrenaline rush coming into the plane,” said the 17-year-old Concord native.

“He’s the footprint… He is actually the footprint to future generations to come and say it’s possible,” Melissa Dixon, the teen’s mother, proudly noted.

How Ryan Garner Got His Private Pilot License

Garner told WRAL News he was initially interested in on-ground aviation assistance before an inspiring conversation rechartered his path.

“I never actually wanted to be a pilot at first. I wanted to be a grounds crew member and wand in the planes or marshall them in,” he explained. “And then I talked to a Delta pilot and started talking about flight school. And that’s how I got into it.”

The journey toward getting a pilot license at Goose Creek Airport is extensive. The source’s website details many steps and requirements throughout the process, which can take around six months depending on an aspiring pilot’s course of action. One of the significant milestones is acquiring 70 hours of flight training – 40 of which are required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Other requirements include ground training, solo flying, and a physical exam conducted by an FAA-certified doctor.

Garner also had to pass the Private Pilot Written Exam and the FAA’s Oral and Practical tests.

Concord honored the teen with an official city proclamation in mid-July for his history-making achievement. Mayor William C. “Bill” Dusch reportedly presented the honor.