Black History Month Feature: Homer Randle’s road to Aviation

Below Mesa’s Cader Homer Randle III Shares his journey into the friendly skies:

“The dream of flight began at a very early age for me. I wasn’t even in school yet, but I knew at the age of three years old I wanted to soar into the heavens. I began my flight training at the University of North Dakota. After completing my degree and earning my Private Pilot Certificate, I continued to build my flight time with the assistance of friends and mentors who owned airplanes.

After earning a Master’s Degree From Texas Southern University, the opportunity to be a Professor of Aviation at Florida Memorial University was presented to me. While working at the university I earned my instrument and commercial multi-engine ratings. Once those ratings were in hand I started building up my flight experience by sitting right seat on a King Air 200, and other light twins around the state of Florida, and down to the Bahamas. It was during this time that I saw the need for minorities to be made aware of the opportunities that aviation could present them.

I was elected as the first Chapter President of OBAP (Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals). During my tenure as President, we were able to raise $42,000.00 in scholarships for students who were in college or going to college or, in training at an accredited Flight School, Aircraft Mechanic school, or majoring in a STEM( Science Technology Engineering or Math) degree program. My first love of flying was matched by going out in the community and speaking to youth, especially urban youth in underserved schools and communities about the power of faith, dreams, and hard work.

I worked for a short time in the Duval County Public School system where I was the Lead Instructor of the Jean Ribault High School Aviation Program. I taught the Private Pilot Theory Ground School, all the while continuing to build my flight time by flying charter trips in light twins, single-engine aircraft, and the CJ-1 Business Jet.

In 2020 I was introduced to Captain Aaron Grissum. Aaron encouraged me to apply for the Mesa Airlines Cadet program. So I did and was accepted in February 2020. After being accepted I earned SIC (Second In Command Type Rating) on the Shorts 330/360 and flew briefly out of San Juan Puerto, Rico. I am currently back in Houston, TX where I am a First Officer for a start-up cargo company called Radius Flex and have written my first book to inspire the generation of dreamers, ”Homer Goes to Flight School”.  I have had the opportunity to fly some really neat aircraft and interact with some of the finest pilots on the planet. When I speak to kids they often ask what’s the best part of my career, the planes, the money, the travel? My answer generally surprises them. It’s the people that I have had a chance, to meet, interact with, and fly with. The airplanes, the trips, the money, that’s the icing.  It’s been the journey and the people.”