WATERTOWN, Wis. -- It all started as a $200 bet. A Black man says he was told, "you can't fly." Since then, Dr. Charles Allen has done all he can to introduce kids to aviation and change the stigma of what a pilot often looks like.
"I had a good friend of mine; he was in the Navy Reserves. He said to me on one Friday afternoon, he said 'Chuck, Black people cannot fly. You are not smart enough.' That was insulting."
The rest is history.
Dr. Allen had been interested in flying while living in Florida. He was also interested in joining the Navy Reserves but ended up at the Air National Guard on a Sunday afternoon. Surprisingly, he says, the chief was in his office.
"He said well gee, young man do you have a college degree? I said well yes, I do. Then he pointed to that tanker, a KC-135 and he said to me, he said would you like to fly that. I said you got to be kidding I can't afford it. He said no you come in, you join the Guard, and we'll send you off to pilot training. Then after pilot training we'll send you off to Milwaukee. And at that time, I was at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He said you can finish your schooling and spend your entire military career right here flying that airplane."
Dr. Allen has been flying since 1979. He has always noticed a lack of people who look like him. In fact, he says he can count on two hands how many Black pilots he has encountered.
"Dexter, JE, JD, Andy, Miles... 5," Dr. Allen said while naming them. "I got my pilot's training license over my 17-plus years in the Air Force. I can count the number of Black pilots - two hands. That's 1970s and 80s. Guess what? I can still count the amount of Black pilots I come across and all I need are my two hands."
This is why Dr. Allen enjoys what he does as a Certified Flight Instructor. He teaches youth three days a week at Wisconsin Aviation. Two days a week he teaches Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Then on weekends he focuses on ministry.
While in the Air National Guard, he also practiced as a General Medicine Practitioner.
When asked if he was busy he said, "No, I'm retired. I tell people retirement for me means that I get to do what I want, when I want. I enjoy teaching. I enjoy flying airplanes. Now I get to do it when I want to do it."
Dr. Allen opens the plane door to kids through the New Beginnings Aviation Ministry. It was started over 10 years ago by the pastor of New Beginnings Church who wanted to come up with something to help at-risk children. When he thought of aviation, he didn't know much about airplanes, so he asked around.
Dr. Allen jumped on the opportunity. He has been passionate about the work to change children's lives.
"The typical Saturday lesson starts out with a biblical verse."
New Beginnings Aviation Ministry is a non-profit organization that engages young people of color, at-risk youth, low-income students and those who otherwise may not have the means to learn about flying.
"I don't charge my students to learn how to fly. I don't charge a flight time," Allen said.
The exams and flight school are all free thanks to donations. There are also adults who come in with their own planes to take the kids up in the air at no cost.
New Beginnings Aviation started in Waukesha in 2007. The ministry couldn't get in at Timmerman Airport like the leaders wanted to, but the support to help was overwhelming for them.
They wanted to continue what they started so they left for Wisconsin Aviation in Watertown.
"We can see the results of what's happening to our children and how they just flipped overnight. The ministry has to continue. Our children suffer from not having options. They see the bad and very little do they see the good. The typical Saturday lesson starts out with a biblical verse," said Allen.
Dr. Allen wants to continue being a part of the good.
New Beginnings Aviation Ministry is a non-profit organization that engages young people of color, at-risk youth, low-income students and those who otherwise may not have the means to learn about flying.
"I don't charge my students to learn how to fly. I don't charge a flight time."
The exams and flight school are all free thanks to donations. There are also adults who come in with their own planes to take the kids up in the air at no cost.
Students through New Beginnings Aviation Ministry can get their private pilot's license and if they want to become a commercial pilot, they can go through Wisconsin Aviation.
Dr. Allen and other leaders in the ministry have been working on bringing the ministry to the inner city so more children of color are exposed to flying.
