American Airlines Pilot Quincy Pulliam is giving back to his Euless, Texas community by mentoring in the identical educational programs that connected Quincy to a profession as an American Airlines Boeing 737 Captain. For Quincy, that is about encouraging students to think about aviation as per an American Airlines YouTube.
Caught the aviation bug in his mother’s beauty shop
Quincy’s mother Maria, a beautician with the sweetness shop with sightlines of Dallas-Fort Price International Airport (DFW), shared together with her son not only the vistas of aviation motion but additionally the importance of “labor and being dedicated to your craft”. While Pulliam was giving freely airplane pictures and constructing Lego models of DFW, 4 other women also helped Pulliam get to his American Airlines Boeing 737 Captain position “Through just inspiring me and believing in me.”
Price noting a few of those 4 women were American Airlines flight attendants – yet cabin crew weren’t the one American Airlines employees to attach Quincy with American Airlines.
“Having a mentor one in all the best gifts”
Pulliam also gave credit to American Airlines Captain Sam Samuels who let Pulliam sit within the cockpit and in return, Pulliam felt committed to someday being an American Airlines captain. Moreover, Samuels also founded the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP). OBAP has as a part of its mission, increasing minority employment in aerospace via exposure, training, mentoring and scholarships.
Photo: American Airlines
One other American Airlines worker who happened to seek out Quincy via his mother Maria’s beauty shop is JoAnn Donelson, a Senior IT Project Manager who was capable of connect Quincy to the American Airlines CR Smith Museum summer camp. Quincy appreciated how the summer camp took campers behind the scenes of being a pilot.
Quincy considers Captain Jamie Jameson his mentor since 2011, a Captain on the American Airlines A320 fleet. Jameson says that the connection was made via OBAP to “Form a relationship unlike some other.” Pulliam said in return that Jameson helps proceed the legacy of American Airlines.
Now volunteering as a mentor
On that note, Quincy considers his volunteering as a mentor as,
“Paying it forward to the following generation of aviators through time. Sam Samuels began this journey for me after I was a bit boy. It literally only takes one moment to spark something special inside a child.”
As an example, Quincy took questions from Lauren, a 2023 Aviation STEM Summer camper on the CR Smith Museum. Quincy beneficial preparing to be a pilot by “Being good at science, math, social studies, geography and history” as those subjects are “the constructing blocks to becoming a pilot”. Quincy went on to say that the most effective attribute of being a pilot is, “You’re in a highly expert environment, doing highly expert things with other highly expert people” while traveling and networking globally as per the below YouTube:
Bottom line
Ultimately, to Quincy, based on the identical CR Smith Museum webpage;
“Here I’m 25 years later talking to the children on the very camp I experienced in my childhood. It’s about paying it forward for the following generation in all areas. I really like talking to kids, seeing their eyes light up with excitement while you answer all of their questions!”
Are you a mentor in aviation? Did you get to go to an aviation summer camp? Please share your experience within the comments.