From curiosity to career: Delta’s DREAM Flight continues to build the aviation talent pipeline

For approximately 160 aspiring aviators from across the Atlanta metro, Oct. 20 was the day the sky stopped being the limit. Students boarded Delta’s 26th annual DREAM Flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Ala., for a firsthand look at the careers that could one day be theirs.

Students from local Atlanta schools and organizations including, Rex Mill Middle, Elite Scholars, the Kindezi Schools, Morrow High School, OBAP ACE Academy and The Atlanta Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen S.T.R.E.A.M. Program spent the day exploring what it takes to connect the world through flight and meeting the people who make it happen.

Rotating through four interactive experiences, students toured the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line and took part in a scavenger hunt on aircraft manufacturing. They tackled aviation-themed activities and challenges at the Old Canteen Center, operated drones and flight simulators at Flight Works and explored the Advanced Manufacturing Program and facilities at Bishop State Community College.

Before heading home, students heard from a panel of Delta and Airbus leaders at Bishop State, including Kurt Ford, Managing Director of Flight Training; William Cossey, Managing Director of Supply Chain Management; Tyesha Gray, Director of Human Resources; Julian Anugom, Director of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity; and Roderick Rogers, Head of A220 Quality Product Improvement at Airbus. These leaders shared their own career journeys and answered questions about navigating the industry.

“Every student on this flight has the potential to become a pilot, engineer, technician or leader. Representation can be a powerful catalyst for unlocking potential, especially when students see people who look like them building, flying and leading in this industry.  Delta’s DREAM Flight helps them better understand the variety of career pathways in the aviation industry,” said Keyra Lynn Johnson, Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Impact Officer.

 DREAM Flight’s founder honored

This year, former Delta pilot and U.S. Air Force veteran John Bailey was inducted into the OBAP Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual conference. The honor recognizes Captain Bailey’s long career dedicated to opening doors for young people who dream of flying, from helping bring OBAP’s ACE Academy to Delta to founding Delta’s DREAM Flight.

After flying military transport aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, including missions in Vietnam, Bailey joined Delta in 1973. As a newly hired pilot based in Boston, he often flew round-robin charter flights around the city for terminally ill children, and those flights sparked the idea to create a similar experience for kids who dreamed of becoming pilots.

In July 2000, Bailey piloted the first DREAM Flight to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., with 150 students from Atlanta City Schools on board. An all-Black crew of Delta pilots volunteered their time to operate the flight, and members of the Tuskegee Airmen greeted students in Washington. They returned to Atlanta on time, and 26 years later, DREAM Flight remains a one-day journey from takeoff to touchdown.

Growing the next generation of aviators

 Delta’s DREAM Flight bridges the gap between early curiosity and future career options by building students’ interest in aviation through fun, hands-on educational experiences and pairing them with mentors. By making these foundational experiences readily available and financially accessible, Delta’s partnership with OBAP has successfully reached more than 4,000 young people to date.

Many DREAM Flight alumni have gone on to build careers at Delta, including:

• First Officer Kyle Foley was just 12 years old when he boarded the very first DREAM Flight in 2000. Seeing the pilots and controls up close for the first time set him on a path that led to a career flying for Delta.
• First Officer Curtis Jackson took DREAM Flight as a teen and grew up looking up to Bailey as one of Delta’s pioneering pilots. Bailey’s advice to keep pushing himself until he reached his goals stayed with Jackson on his path to the flight deck.

DREAM Flight is one of several Delta programs, including WING Flight, ACE Academy and the National Flight Academy, that introduce students to aviation careers and expand the aviation talent pipeline.

Working together to expand horizons

Airbus and Delta have long shared common goals for the future of travel from the talent in the industry to the aircraft to get us there. Earlier this year, Delta announced the addition of 31 next-generation Airbus widebody aircraft to its fleet, an investment that will fuel international growth and accelerate fleet renewal in the years to come.

 “We talk a lot about the future of aviation, but you can’t actually build that future without bringing new voices and fresh perspectives into the fold,” said Roderick Rogers, Head of A220 Quality Product Improvement in Mobile. “Opening our doors in Mobile to Delta’s DREAM flight is our way of showing these students that there is a very real, accessible place for them in this industry, whether that's in the cockpit or right here on the manufacturing floor.”

Mobile is one of five cities worldwide where Airbus commercial aircraft are assembled. The Mobile Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility has more than 2,000 employees who produce A320 and A220 Family aircraft for customers in the U.S. and Latin America. Earlier this fall, Delta and Airbus also partnered on Delta’s 11th annual WING (Women Inspiring Next Generation) Flight, which brought 160 young women from Atlanta to the same Mobile facility in celebration of Girls in Aviation Day.