COMPTON BULLETIN: 14-year-old Pilot’s Landing Draws Crowd to Compton-Woodley Airport

14-year-old Pilot’s Landing Draws Crowd to Compton-Woodley Airport

By Robert Meeks
Bulletin Staff Writer

Within minutes of his planned arrival time, 14-year-old Inglewood resident Jonathan Strickland flew a Robinson R44 helicopter past a crowd of onlookers, hovered for several seconds and guided the flying vehicle to earth with expert precision.

Or in the words of co-pilot/instructor Robin Petgrave — his landing was like “butter.”

Strickland was greeted immediately by family, well-wishers and press July 1 at the Compton-Woodley Airport after returning from Canada. The trip made him the youngest African American to pilot a helicopter roundtrip internationally.

“Yeah, anybody can do it,” Strickland said. “It just takes a lot of hard work.”

And the work paid off for Strickland. According to Petgrave, the director of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, who also accompanied the teenager on the mission, it was Strickland who had the idea to make the journey to Canada, earn two flying credentials upon arrival and return.

Co-organizers of the journey said Strickland also set records as the youngest person to solo both a helicopter and airplane on the same day, the youngest African-American to solo a helicopter and the youngest African-American to fly a helicopter internationally.

Petgrave said it was Strickland’s responsibility to handle paperwork and coordinate fundraising for the trip with some guidance from instructors, family and friends. The young pilot scored in the 90s on both his plane and helicopter flying exams in the same day, which will now enable him to solo a Cessna-152 airplane and a Robinson R22 helicopter.

“I was there, I was watching him in the helicopter and I couldn’t believe it,” Petgrave said afterward. “I’m going to get some good press about this because of what a 14-year-old kid did. Thanks Jonathan.”

Strickland recalled his helicopter flying test as a freeing experience from his instructors.

“When I came in to land there was no one yapping about whether I was too high,” he said. “I did it [the landing] my way.”

The reunion with his family was joyous and emotional for parents Andrea and John Strickland. Mr. Strickland said he was proud and knew Jonathan would accomplish his goals and return home with few problems.

“He’s been flying for a couple years now and he’s in good hands,” Mr. Strickland said. “His younger brother doesn’t miss him very much because he’s been having access to the computer without any problems, but like I said we’re just real proud.”

Representatives from the city of Compton, the Los Angeles and Inland Empire chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen and surrounding fire and police agencies were in attendance. Al Crawford, a member of the Inland Empire Tuskegee Airmen chapter, said Strickland’s flight, bravery and initiative evoked the tradition of the Airmen.

“We try to keep the memories [of the Tuskegee Airmen] alive; we don’t want it to die, but the other thing is that we try to use that legacy to inspire young men, period. It doesn’t make any difference if they are black, white, Latino or Asian,” Crawford said.

A presenter from the Los Angeles County Fire Department congratulated Strickland and gifted him with an application just in case he wants to become a pilot for L.A. County Fire.

But for the near future, Strickland will continue his education in Reseda at Cleveland High School, his father said. At this point, Strickland said he wants to keep himself behind the pilot controls.

“[I will] probably join the Air Force, becoming a test pilot after that,” Strickland said.

Mayor Eric J. Perrodin was among a handful of other city officials who attended the landing, and he praised Strickland for his feat and Petgrave for providing the motivation and the means to make it possible.

“This is the most important thing since I’ve been mayor that we’ve accomplished by bringing Robin Petgrave and his program over here,” Perrodin said. “Hopefully it will encourage other kids that you can get out of Compton and any other inner city through other means other than gangs or playing sports; so I’m really happy about that.”