Author Jamail Larkins

From the ripe age of 12 when Jamail Larkins stepped inside an airplane and co-piloted his first flight with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles Program, he was hooked for life. Falling in love at first flight, Jamail decided he would do whatever it took to continue flying, including petitioning the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to let him fly solo at the age of 13. He didn’t get the answer he was looking for, so he headed to Canada where the age requirement was only 14. It was there he became one of the youngest American pilots to solo a powered aircraft in Canada. A few years later at the age of 16, Jamail became the National Spokesman of the EAA Vision of Eagles Program, a youth education initiative of the EAA Aviation Foundation. In this role, Jamail was able to use his passion to promote the career possibilities available to aviation enthusiasts, young and old alike. With this newfound status and exposure, Jamail was afforded many unique opportunities, including becoming the first and youngest student pilot to solo in a Cirrus SR20, a revolutionary certified single-engine aircraft with a built-in parachute. Spreading his wings, Jamail branched out into aerobatic flying at the age of 18. Loving the creativity and freedom it allowed him, he became one of the youngest air show aerobatic performers in the U.S. Jamail realized quickly in order to fund his passion for flight; he needed a plan to make more money than the average teenager. To do so, at the age of 15, he founded his first company - Larkins Enterprises, Inc., an aviation sales & advertising company. Since its first inception, Jamail has transformed Larkins Enterprises into two successful business units, an aircraft sales & leasing company and an aviation consulting firm. Collectively, Jamail’s companies have generated over $7.5 Million in annual sales. In 2002, Jamail became the National Spokesman for Careers in Aviation, a non-profit organization that promotes and provides aviation opportunities to young people. Because of his passion for flying, ability to connect with youth and his role with Careers in Aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), the top aviation school in the country, recruited Jamail to bring attention to the exciting yet declining industry of aviation. Together they founded the Dream Launch Tour, a national tour designed to educated students about career opportunities in the aviation industry and to motivate students to reach for their dreams. Jamail’s profile was building, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took notice. By Fall 2004, the FAA signed Jamail as the first official Ambassador for Aviation and Space Education. Through his work with the FAA, ERAU and numerous other organizations, Jamail has had the opportunity to give speeches beside notables like Chuck Yeager, Harrison Ford, and Cliff Robertson. He has flown with the Navy’s prestigious Blue Angels, been featured in the Franklin Institute, been named the #1 Entrepreneur under the age of 30 by Inc Magazine, received a Certificate of Special Recognition from the United States Congress, has been named One of the “History Makers In the Making” by MSNBC’s The Grio, and most recently has been the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by Black Enterprise Magazine. Jamail currently resides in Atlanta, GA, but can typically be found flying around the country, spreading his passion and expertise in the field of aeronautics.