Jamail Larkins: One Of The Youngest American Pilots
Jamail Larkins became one of the youngest American pilots after soloing a powered aircraft in Canada in July of 1998 at the age of 14.
He soloed the day after his 16th birthday in the United States on January 30, 2000 in a Cirrus SR20, a newly developed single-engine airplane, becoming the first and youngest student pilot ever to solo in this newly certified aircraft.
Jamail has accumulated more than 270 hours of total flight time in more than 32 different types of aircraft. He has flown all over the United States and Canada and has been sponsored by several major companies in the aviation industry. Jamail makes appearances at air shows, hosts radio shows at conventions and other events, and writes columns for numerous aviation publications. He hqs been the guest speaker for fundraising dinners alongside such notable figures as Chuck Yeager and Cliff Robertson.
He has also trained in several different kinds of American Airlines simulators, including the Boeing 777, the Boeing 767, the Boeing 757 and the McDonnell Douglas Super MD-80.
As a 16-year-old honor roll student at Evans High School in Augusta, Georgia, Jamail is a member of the track team, the Student Council, the Aerospace Club, Future Business Leaders of America and has earned his black belt in Taekwondo. He has received numerous awards for academic and overall achievement including Outstanding Student, the Principal's Award, and numerous awards for his academic performance in math, science and foreign language.
Jamail makes appearances at more than 20 different air shows and fly-ins each year while undergoing rigorous flight training. He has been recognized as an Outstanding Young Eagle, an Outstanding Camper at Space Camp and was the recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Army Signal Center at Fort Gordon in 1996.
 Jamail is active in aviation organizations including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, CSRA Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association-Chapter 172, and participates on special projects for the EAA Aviation Foundation KidVenture facility at Oshkosh while acting as lead reporter for the EAA Today KidVenture section. He is also an active member of the Young Eagles and Young Aces Programs.
Jamail is active in the First Shiloh Baptist Church and in numerous groups in the Augusta community. He frequently gives motivational speeches before church, community and youth groups including more than 20 chapters of the Boy Scouts of America, the Timmins-Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the CSRA Pilots Association, the Cessna Press Conference in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 1998, and the Young Eagles. Jamail lives with his parents, Sylvester and Renetha, in Augusta.
For more information about Jamail Larkins, please contact Sarah Thompson at sthompson2000@earthlink.net or 301-846-9636.
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