Heroes in Flight: Emory Malick
Emory Malick
Emory Conrad Malick studied at the Curtiss Aviation School on North Island, San Diego. In March of 1912, he received his pilot’s license at 31 years of age. It made Emory Malick the first known African-American pilot, and the first black person to get a pilot’s license in the United States.
Early Life
Emory was born in the state of Pennsylvania in 1881. The third child of six Emory started on his own at age 19 working as a farm laborer. In 1910 records show Emory was working in Philadelphia as a carpenter with his father. Together they helped build the capitol building in Harrisburg. In 1911 Emory became the first aviator to fly over central Pennsylvania, flying a home built plane over Northumberland and Snyder Counties.
First Attempt at Aviation
The first record of Emory’s interest in flying dates to July 22, 1911, when he built a biplane in Seven Points Pennsylvania. Two days later he had a successful flight in his engine-powered “aeroplane.” This experience ignited a lifelong passion for aviation for Emory and drove him to pursue formal flight training.
Aviation School
In January 1912 Emory Malick enrolled in the Curtiss Aviation School in San Diego, California. Three short months later, in March, Malick had earned his international FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) license #105. The Aero Club of America issued it. This made Emory Malick the first known licensed black pilot in the world. Glen Curtiss is quoted declaring Emory to be one of “the best flyers ever turned out by this school.” It was later further confirmed by Chief Charles Alfred Anderson, Chief Flight instructor for the famous Tuskegee Airmen, that Mr. Malick was the first licensed black pilot.
Aviation Career
Emory went on to work in the Delaware Valley, flying out of airfields in Philadelphia and Camden Counties. 1927 was the first year federal aviation licenses were issued. Emory became the first African American pilot to earn a Federal Transport License, #1716, as well as Federal Mechanics License, #924. These licenses were first issued through the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce, which later became the FAA. These licenses enabled Malick to work as a pilot for the Aero Service Corporation as well as Dallin Aerial Surveys. On the weekends Emory ran the Flying Dutchman Air Service with pilot/mechanic Ernest Beuhl.
Calm in the Cockpit
On March 4, 1928, Malick was transporting two passengers when his engine died. He managed to avoid crashing into a crowd of spectators and crash landed the plan in a nearby field. Both the passengers and himself survived the emergency landing. The headlines in the papers read “Skill and Heroism of Emory C. Malick… Prevents Real Tragedy at Camden Yesterday.” “Aire Pilot’s Skill Saves 3 in Crash.” “Pilot Malick Saves Himself and Spectators in Making Heroic Landing.”
One year later, after years of successful flying, Emory Malick was severely injured in another crash. One of his passengers did not survive. Sadly, that was his last flight. Emory Malick remains of the true pioneers of aviation with 3000 flying hours.
Malick’s passion for aviation couldn’t be denied even when the odds said it could never happen. If you too want to pursue your dream and your passion for aviation the good news is you can take a lot easier path than Emory’s. CTI Professional Flight Training can get you airborne in a matter of months.
