Kimberly Anyadike | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Anyadike in 2009 | |
| Born | (1994-02-01)February 1, 1994 (age 32) Compton, California, U.S.A. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Known for | Completing a transcontinental flight across the United States. |
Kimberly NdidiAnyadikeListenⓘ (born February 1, 1994) is anAmerican pilot fromCompton, California. In 2009, at the age of 15, she became the youngestAfrican American woman to complete atranscontinental flight across the United States, fromLos Angeles, California toNewport News, Virginia. Anyadike was accompanied by an adult safety pilot, and by a retired Air Force pilot who had served with the WWIITuskegee Airmen. Her plane was autographed by about 50 Tuskegee airmen as she stopped at different cities across the US, and she completed the round-trip journey in a single-engineCessna 172 in 13 days.
In 2015, Anyadike received the firstYoung Aviator's Award from the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of her achievements. In 2016, she graduated from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree.
Born in 1994, Anyadike grew up in Compton, California.[1] She has an older brother and sister.[2] Her parents are originally fromNigeria,[3] and their surname Anyadike means "eye of the warrior" in theIgbo language.[4][5]
Anyadike took dance lessons at the Lula Washington Dance Academy, served as a junior lifeguard atVenice Beach for five years, and volunteered as a youth leader at her local church.[3] At a young age, she showed a strong interest in medical science and anatomy; her mother taught her to identify and name all 206 bones in the body. Anyadike later attended science classes at theCharles Drew University Saturday Science Academy, an L.A.-basedSTEM subjects program for youth ranging in age from preschool to grade 12.[2]
Anyadike took her first flying lessons at the age of 12, attending an after-school aviation program offered byTomorrow's Aeronautical Museum for disadvantaged youths.[6][7] She was inspired to take lessons after reading aboutJonathan Strickland, an earlier participant of the program who became the youngest person to fly a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter solo in a single day.[2] Anyadike paid for her flight lessons with "museum dollars" earned by washing airplanes and working odd jobs around the Compton Airport.[1] As part of the program's requirements, she maintained a strong academic record throughout the period.[3]
Despite having a fear of heights, Anyadike says that being in the cockpit of a plane is "an amazing experience".[2]
As Anyadike gradually built up 100 hours of flight time, she conceived the idea of flying across the country.[8] She wanted to inspire other youth, while also honouring theTuskegee Airmen, an African-American air combat unit that served duringWorld War II.[9] Departing on June 29, 2009,[10] 15-year-old Anyadike flew a single-engineCessna 172 from Compton, California toNewport News, Virginia and back, completing the journey in 13 days.[6][2][7] She was accompanied by adult safety pilot Ronnell Norman, and Major Levi H. Thornhill, an 87-year-old retiredU.S. Air Force pilot who had served as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.[7]
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Anyadike made at least a dozen scheduled stops along the way, and navigated through thunderstorms as she flew across Texas.[11] InWashington, D.C., CongresswomanLaura Richardson came to congratulate the young pilot, and inTuskegee, Alabama, Mayor Omar Neal proclaimed July 2 to be "Kimberly Anyadike Day".[10] During stops in different cities, Anyadike's plane was autographed by about 50 different Tuskegee Airmen.[6][2][11] Major Thornhill acted as Anyadike's representative to make the necessary introductions with regional chapters of the airmen.[8] Although the record had never been officially tracked before her journey,[7][9] Anyadike is considered the youngest black American woman — and possibly the youngest person of any race or gender — to have successfully piloted a plane coast-to-coast across the United States.[11][1][6][2][9]
Upon her arrival home on July 11, 2009, Anyadike received an award from theCounty of Los Angeles, and was personally invited byGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger to visit theCalifornia State Capitol.[10] In May 2015, Anyadike received the Tuskegee Airmen's inaugural Young Aviator's Award in Tuskegee, Alabama, in recognition of her achievements as a pilot.[2] In 2017, Anyadike was interviewed about her transcontinental flight for a specialDisney Channel segment forBlack History Month entitled 'True Heroes Are Timeless'.[12][13]
For her college education, Anyadike enrolled at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), majoring in physiological science with minors in African-American studies and Spanish. During her senior year, she was also working as a registered emergency medical technician, and was volunteering for her local chapter of theFlying Samaritans to bring medical care toTijuana,Mexico.[2] She graduated with her undergraduate degree from UCLA in June 2016.[14] When asked about future aspirations, Anyadike has said that she plans to enroll in medical school and become a cardiovascular surgeon.[2][3]
Anyadike's older sister, Kelly, also took aviation lessons at Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum.[7][2] In 2008, on her sixteenth birthday, Kelly became the youngest African-American woman to pilot four different fixed-wing aircraft in a single day.[15][2][16] In interviews, Anyadike has said that a friendly rivalry with Kelly helped inspire her to complete her own piloting achievements.[17][7]