For nearly 400 years of U.S. history, African Americans have excelled despite enormous obstacles, many of which began and ended with the color of their skin. American Airlines produced Blacks in Aviation as a tribute to aviation professionals everywhere. It tells the stories of only a handful of pioneers but it honors all who have dared to be among the few African Americans to have conquered careers in aviation.

American Airlines Captain Billy Nolen talks to a student visiting the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.