GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The founder of Gwinnett County’s first Black-owned flight school is pledging $1 million in scholarships to help more people of color enter the cockpit.
Michael Ojo launched Lookup Flight Academy three years ago with a mission to break down barriers in an industry where representation remains scarce.
“When you don’t see someone who looks like you in a pilot uniform, chances are you’re not even thinking about it,” Ojo said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, fewer than 5% of commercial pilots in America are Black. Women of color make up less than 1%.
Ojo says the scholarship money will come through the school’s nonprofit in 2026 as part of a larger goal to train 1,000 pilots.
“It’s about ending the generational cycle of poverty that plagues Black and brown communities,” he said.
Lookup recently earned its Part 141 certificate from the FAA. That federal recognition opens the door to grants and financial aid for students.
One of those students is Troi Miller, a 27-year-old Marine transitioning out of active duty. She found Lookup through a military program and shows up seven days a week.
“I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was 17,” Miller said. “It’s been a dream.”
Her goal is flying cargo for FedEx.
“The sky knows no colors,” Miller said. “It shouldn’t have any limitations.”
Boeing projects a need for more than 100,000 new pilots in North America over the next two decades. Freight carriers are now competing with commercial airlines for a shrinking talent pool.
Ojo says Lookup is ready to help fill that gap.
“Every single person here could be doing other things,” he said. “But we all believe in the mission.”
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