WITH BLACK WOMEN MAKING UP FEWER THAN HALF A PERCENT OF ALL COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY PILOTS IN THE U . S ., HUGHES IS RESHAPING THE INDUSTRY SHE LOVES BY MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AVIATORS .
LCDR Angel Hughes ' 08 knew at an early age that she belonged among the stars .
She was 11 years old when her 6th grade science teacher introduced her to astronomy . Hughes , one of four children born to Haitian parents , pictured herself soaring high above the earth and beyond the atmosphere into space . There in that middle school science class , a dream was born . She wanted to fly .
Plenty of kids dream of flying . It ’ s the stuff of childhood fantasy and imaginary superpowers . Very few turn those dreams into reality . Hughes , however , was determined .
Five years later , she would stumble upon an opportunity . Walking home one day in East Orange , NJ , she passed a seemingly abandoned firehouse with a sign out front that said “ Learn to fly here .” Hughes wasted no time accepting that open invitation and walked inside . She found a chapter of Eagle Flight Squadron , a nonprofit that mentors and develops young aviators .
“ I will always remember the first time I set foot in a small aircraft for an introductory flight at 16 years old ,” said Hughes . “ That feeling is indescribable .”
She was hooked . Hughes was on her way to becoming a pilot . She racked up flight time in between high school classes and a busy schedule of basketball and volleyball games , earning her private pilot certificate at age 17 .
With high school graduation approaching , Hughes began looking at aviation schools . She set her sights on Florida , which offered year-round flying weather and several elite college aviation programs . One visit to
Jacksonville University ’ s riverfront campus confirmed her path .
“ JU swept me off my feet ,” said Hughes . “ The campus was beautiful , and I fell in love with everything they offered . Coming from a small high school in New Jersey , I liked that [ JU ] was small . They can give you a lot more focused attention .”
At Jacksonville University ’ s School of Aviation , Hughes was an eager , hardworking student and a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority . She became a certified flight instructor and began instructing for JU while she accrued flight time , as is customary in the program . She graduated in 2008 with a bachelor ’ s degree in Aviation Management and Flight Operations and was ready to hit the runway , but the Great Recession clipped her wings a bit . Pilot jobs were hard to find .
Hughes briefly flew for a small company out of Phoenix that soon went under , so she moved back home to New Jersey . She was discouraged , but still determined . A close friend had enlisted as an Army pilot and encouraged her to look at a military career path . She did , and was soon back in the cockpit flying for the U . S . Coast Guard .
“ The military commitment isn ’ t a light one ,” said Hughes . “ It ’ s a 10-year commitment , so it ’ s not as simple as going to work , flying , and going home . You ’ re expected to lead and be well-rounded . But at the same time , it ’ s a solid , stable career choice .”
In 2011 , Hughes became the second Black female fixed-wing aviator in U . S . Coast Guard history . Flying the HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft , her primary focus was