Delaware State College has named the Chair of the College’s Aviation Advisory Council, CJ Charlton, as its new Aviation Program Director. A 1995 graduate of the College’s exact same Aviation Program, Captain Charlton brings a wealth of flight and management expertise flying for United Airways.
Presently, he flies the Airbus 319/320/321 and beforehand piloted Boeing 737, 757, 767, and 777 plane – accumulating greater than 7,300 hours of flight time. He’s additionally a retired Main from the North Carolina Air Nationwide Guard the place he was a C-130 pilot, accumulating over 3,000 hours, 1,500 of which have been in fight circumstances.
Captain Charlton will serve within the function whereas fulfilling his duties as a Newark-based Captain with the airline.
Presently, Captain Charlton is the Chair of the College’s Aviation Advisory Council, liable for main, supporting, and selling the schooling of 163 aviation college students.
He based the Black Aviation Endowment Fund (BAEF), which funds aspiring aviators, and helps HBCU aviation packages and minority organizations providing aviation schooling and coaching. Captain Charlton serves as a mentor and trainer, having served on choice panels, mentored future officers, managed aircrews, and led high-visibility navy missions worldwide.
“Captain Charlton brings a wealth of aviation expertise to this function and I look ahead to working with him. I can not consider anybody extra passionate, certified, and dedicated to our college students and program,” mentioned Dr. Tony Allen, President of Delaware State College. “We’re extraordinarily grateful to Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Hales for his dedication and management to DSU and want him the perfect in his new endeavor.”
After seven years of main and managing the Aviation Program’s progress and enlargement, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Hales ended his DSU tenure in mid-January 2024 after being named CEO of the United Aviate Academy (UAA) – a flight college wholly owned and operated by United Airways in Goodyear, Arizona.
In Hales’ tenure at DSU, the Aviation Program tripled from 57 college students to its present 163 and noticed the College put money into 15 new plane and construct a Helicopter Flight Coaching Program with the United States Military ROTC.
He was instrumental in elevating $4 million in donations in assist of the Aviation Program, based the annual HBCU Aviation Director’s Summit, and obtained FAA self-examining authority for 4 of the six certifications/rankings, saving greater than $6,000 per pupil in Designated Pilot Examination charges.
