Former American Airlines CEO helps aspiring pilots get their careers off the ground

What does retirement look like after leading the world's largest airline? Exotic travel? Rest and relaxation? 

For former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, it means helping others get their careers off the ground.

"We were looking for the best of the best," former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said. "But if you exclude a huge proportion of the population, you can't say you have the best of the best."

Parker says he recognized the lack of diversity in airline cockpits while leading American Airlines. He also identified two significant obstacles that prevent aspiring pilots from pursuing careers in aviation.

"I think the two biggest barriers are financial resources and awareness," Parker said. "And if you live in a community where you don't see anyone else in your community that actually has this as a career choice, then it's just not something that shows up on your horizon."

Parker and his wife, Gwen, launched Breaking Down Barriers, a Dallas-based nonprofit that provides financial assistance, training opportunities, and mentorship to aspiring pilots from underserved communities.

"If you meet our students, I mean, you will fall in love," said Gwen during a visit to Dallas Executive Airport. "They work so hard – because this is a difficult job. I mean, not just anybody can do the work. You have to have grit, grind, determination, and our students have that."

Among those students is 21-year-old Kyra Lee, who once struggled to imagine herself pursuing a career in aviation.

"Honestly, I never would have seen this for myself," Lee said. "So it's a shocking moment every single time I meet a new milestone. I'm just, I can't believe it."

With help from a Breaking Down Barriers scholarship, Lee has already earned several aviation certificates and is working toward her goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Parker says the cost of flight training can prevent otherwise qualified students from pursuing that dream.

"You can get a loan to go to any college in the United States," the former CEO said. "You can't get a loan to go to pilot school. And, you know, people need the financial resources ... absent that, they don't have the opportunity."

But the program provides more than financial assistance. Students say the encouragement and support help them persevere when the demanding training becomes difficult.

"And so I was like, 'they're really paying for this. They're really counting on me. Like, I have to lock in. I have to do right," said Lee when remembering a particularly difficult stretch in the training. "So after I got past it, I was like, `there can't be anything that stands in my way.'"

That growing confidence has become another benefit of the program, helping students see possibilities they might never have considered.

"It really puts the belief and the trust into the community that there are people out there who really want to see you succeed," Shakeel Pearson said.

Pearson has completed his training through Breaking Down Barriers and now serves as an instructor. He's also building the flight hours needed to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot.

"Being able to be somebody that comes from where I come from, that looks the way I look, and to not only get into the industry, but to be succeeding in it right now? It has all been through the work and the efforts that BDB is giving to us in what they want us to continue and carry in our communities," says Pearson.

In return, the organization asks its students to pay it forward by mentoring others who hope to follow in their footsteps.

"Every one of these individuals is a leader," Parker said. "They're not just going to be pilots. They are going to be leaders in their communities. They're going gonna be examples for others."

For Parker and his wife, the mission extends beyond helping students earn their wings. They hope each success story will inspire others who might otherwise never consider a future in aviation.

"I like to say these individuals won't just have their lives transformed," Parker said. "They're going to transform the lives of others."

How to help

Breaking Down Barriers will host its inaugural Aviators Ball on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Addison Airport. Proceeds will support scholarships and help expand aviation training opportunities for students from underserved communities.

For event information or to support the nonprofit, visit BreakingDownBarriers.org.