HBCU in Delaware shaping next generation of Army aviators with helicopter flying program

Sitting in the cockpit and operating the controls, Delaware State University students are taking off from Chandelle Airport in Dover as they work to become future Army aviators.

"I've always been interested in military aviation," sophomore Aaron Goines said. "I did research and found the program at Delaware State."

Goines is one of about 12 students enrolled in the Helicopter Flight Training Program, an Army scholarship that trains ROTC cadets to fly helicopters during college.

DSU is the first Historically Black College and University to offer the four-year program, which has been at cruising altitude since 2023.

"We'll go from like a Spanish class, like a Gen Ed class, to flying a helicopter, and you can't beat that," Zachary Wainio said.

"The first couple weeks we come in here, we're already flying," Jason Johnson said. "I had controls, my first flight. It's an unreal, eye-opening experience."

From classroom instruction to hands-on experience, the scholarship covers tuition and flight fees, and students work through five main certifications: private pilot, instrument, commercial, and certified flight instructor (CFI).

"I think it takes a certain student, a certain level of maturity, and that's what we really look for on our end," Kelvin Lesene, director of aviation programs at DSU, said, "and the Army looks for as well."

Goines is now logging hours and chasing his dream of being a pilot in the Army.

"It's a humbling feeling knowing that I'm kind of working toward that goal," Goines said.