Kamora Freeland has made history as America’s youngest Black female licensed pilot. Not only is this a personal achievement, but it is a source of inspiration to women of color who aspire to have a career in aviation.
The Staten Island native obtained her private pilot’s license in February of 2024 well ahead of when she obtained her driver’s license—a testament to both of her steadfast dedication and resolve. Her first introduction to flying came at age 15 as a United Youth Aviators scholarship recipient, a spark that would ignite a passion that would carry her to new heights.
Kamora had no early aspirations for flight. She had actually envisioned a life in marine biology. Her mother recognized potential in her daughter and enrolled her in the United Youth Aviators scholarship program in 2022. A simple introduction to flying quickly turned into an all-encompassing passion.
“It is something that I have a passion for and that I love,” said Kamora of her experience. The first time that she flew through the air, she knew that she had found what she wanted to do with her life.
As other teens were busy learning to drive, Kamora learned to take off and land. She trained at Republic Airport on Long Island and spent many hours in the cockpit flying solo and cross-country. A favorite flight of hers took her mother to Martha’s Vineyard and marked just how far she had come in a short space of time.
Kamora’s achievements are not confined to flying. She juggled demanding flight training with academic achievement. A dual-enrolled student at both Kingsborough Early College Secondary School and Kingsborough Community College, she accumulated college credit as well as a high school diploma. Her efforts were rewarded when she graduated a year early and received a competitive Presidential Scholarship to attend Spelman College.
A 17-year-old sophomore at Spelman, Kamora is a major in International Relations with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Her academic journey is a testament not only to life success but to being a source of inspiration and leadership for future generations of aviation experts.
Her achievement is particularly significant in light of the steep underrepresentation of Black women in flight. Currently, women make up only about 5% of U.S. flight captains, and Black women are represented in that figure at less than 1%.
By earning a pilot’s license at a very young age, Kamora is breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes. But that is only where she begins—her ambitions are much greater than that.
Kamora’s next move is to be a commercial airline pilot, a step that will solidify her place in a diversifying profession. She is also looking to open the door for others and would like one day to have a flight school where she can train and mentor new and upcoming pilots—particularly women of color.
“I’m a piece of that change that is certainly necessary and would like other small Black girls to do the same thing as well,” she said, adding that she is dedicated to opening doors for those who have been kept out of the field of aviation in the past. Her dedication is not solely about personal achievement; she is dedicated to changing the face of aviation and encouraging more black women to come into it as a career.
