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Coffey School of Aeronautics

Coordinates: 41°43′49″N 87°47′54″W / 41.73028°N 87.79833°W / 41.73028; -87.79833
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The Coffey School of Aeronautics was a flight school at Harlem Airport in Oak Lawn, Illinois, founded by Cornelius Coffey and Willa Brown. It was the first flight school owned and operated by African-Americans in the United States. The school opened in 1940 and closed after World War II.[1] While it was open, it trained African-American pilots as part of the Civilian Pilot Training Program; many of these pilots went on to join the Tuskegee Airmen.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Willa Beatrice Brown" (PDF). Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  2. ^ Heise, Kenan. "CORNELIUS COFFEY, EARLY BLACK AVIATOR". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 3 April 2020.

41°43′49″N 87°47′54″W / 41.73028°N 87.79833°W / 41.73028; -87.79833