The Father of Black Aviation, Charles Alfred “Chief” Anderson Sr. was born on February 9, 1907, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. As a child in Pennsylvania, Anderson watched airplanes soar across the sky and knew he wanted to be in the cockpit one day. After high school, he could not find anyone willing to rent him a plane or teach him to fly because of the color of his skin. Anderson didn’t give up though. He went to aviation ground school and learned about the mechanics of airplanes. He also spent time at airports, learning whatever he could from the pilots. By 1929, Anderson realized the only way he would get to fly was to buy his own plane. That’s just what he did – he purchased a Velie Monocoupe with his savings and money loaned from friends and family. He joined a flying club, but they didn’t teach him. Over time, Anderson taught himself to take off and land the plane.