Captain Xavier Palmer

Since my early days as a young man growing up in South Central Los Angeles, my head has always been in the skies. My earliest memories have been flying through this planet's vast atmosphere and beyond. Growing up in the 1960s, I never missed a space launch. I was always hoping that one day I could slip the surly bonds of earth and fly with the birds and beyond. I got my first opportunity to fly in 1972 by starting an aviation club at Susan Miller Dorsey High School. Since that point, I have been flying since the age of 15. I got my first big break working for Western Airlines as a Ramp agent.

At that point, I went to Los Angeles Trade Tech to get my FAA Airframe and Powerplant licenses while trying to build my flying hours. What a thrill, I was working around big jets, and that fueled my desire to fly to greater heights! I thought being an aircraft mechanic would be the end of the road for me in the world of aviation.

But, Alvin Gornbin took an interest in me and said I could go further with my education. He encouraged me to go to Cal Poly Pomona, where I earned my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering Technology. I gained aviation experience by working at NASA through a co-op study program and Perkin-Elmer Aerospace division. After working in the aviation industry on the ground, the ignition was fired up when I was accepted into the United States Air Force as a Pilot.

From that point on, I never looked back but always promised to help another young Man or Woman, as many have reached out a hand of assistance to me along the way. I have stood on the shoulders of the Tuskegee Airman, Fred Pitcher, Robert Henry Lawrence, Lloyd "Fig" Newton, Dave Harris, Eugene Bullard, Bessie Coleman, Bill Norwood, and the list goes on. It is my way of saying thank you, and let's make a new generation of aviation SUPER STARS!