OLIVE BRANCH, Miss — Nestled in Olive Branch, the Luke Weathers Flight Academy is not just training pilots; it's fostering dreams. And so is one man who was instrumental in starting that academy. Though he spends more time in the air than on the ground, the sky is certainly not the limit for retired FedEx Captain Albert Glenn.
"I didn't choose this in the beginning," Glenn said. "I loved airplanes. I have played with airplanes since I was three years old, and if you ask my mom and dad, they'll tell you I used every bit of masking tape at the house and any piece of wood I could find to build airplanes with."
And that ingenuity paid off. Glenn first lifted off decades ago and, in 1972, relocated to the Memphis area to pursue flying.
A few years later, he became one of FedEx's first Black pilots, making him one of eight. He retired as the captain of one of their largest Boeing aircraft.
"What I found was a lot of mentors and examples of professional pilots along the way who helped me realize my dream," he said.
Now, he's helping launch the careers of the next generation of aviators and helping them reach their dreams.
"What really attracted me to the school was just the culture that we have here; a lot of people here really help you grow," said Jeremy Walls, a flight instructor and one of Glenn's students.
"I'm from Maryland but chose to come to Memphis," said Rachel Turner, a certified flight instructor trainee. "It just feels like family. Everyone here is really welcoming and supportive."
ABC24 toured the Flight Academy, where aspiring aviators come from across the country and go through months of training—soaring in academics and learning from the best. Glenn also had a chance to experience the trip of a lifetime—elevating to new heights in Tennessee.
"I feel very honored because, you know, there are some incredible aviators that are in the Hall of Fame, and to be considered, to be listed along with them, is really a high honor," Glenn said. "If history looks back on it, they'll look back at all those who are part of this, all those who are part of OBAP (Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals), all those who have been a part of the school system here in Memphis and those in FedEx. They've all played an integral part in the success here and the success around the country."
Glenn was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame on Saturday. Once students like Walls and Turner graduate, he'll take in another set of eight students, many of whom also get scholarships from those major sponsorships and companies mentioned.