A Pair of Wings, published in June 2021, is the epic story of how one fearless Black woman with a bold dream overcame outsized, seemingly insurmountable odds to become a licensed pilot. While the historical novel (inspired by the true story of Bessie Coleman) sprang from the imagination of Carole Hopson, in many ways, its descriptor could just as easily be about the author herself.
At age 54, after a journalism career, a corporate career, and more than a decade as a flight instructor hell‐bent on being a very present wife and mom, Hopson was hired by United Airlines to fly the Boeing 737.
At a time when the aviation industry is grappling with a shortage of pilots, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, in 2020 there were approximately 430,000 pilots overall and fewer than 150 of those are African American women.
Seizing the challenge and opportunity that this gap represents, Hopson founded the 100 Pairs of Wings Project, which is raising funds to send 100 African American women to flight school by 2035.
Hopson, a spunky doer/dreamer who laughs out loud at what others perceive to be limits, is captivated with Coleman and has inherited her determination to transform the face of aviation in her lifetime.
In a recent blog on her website, Hopson challenges others to do their share: “Embedded in the middle of the word ...
