Chicago teen plans to fly solo across the country to learn about African Americans who flew during WW2

CHICAGO (CBS) -- While most 16 year olds are getting their drivers license, he has his private glider pilot license.

And right now, he's preparing to fly alone, across the country, to learn about African Americans who flew during WW II.

CBS 2's Shardaa Gray caught up with him before the big trip.

Zaire Horton plans to travel to seven HBCUs to learn about African Americans who flew during World War II. When 16-year-old Zaire Horton is flying, he said the feeling is indescribable. 

"When I had control of it, it felt good."

Horton started flying a motor glider at 14-years-old and was able to fly solo at 15. But before he took flight, gliding in the air wasn't even on his radar.

"My freshman year high school at Dunbar. I guess there was an aviation program that started the same year I was a freshman and I never even heard about aviation, never knew that it was a thing," Horton said.

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy has a four-year program started by Chicago aviation pioneer Cornelius Coffey in the 1950s.

"At first, I didn't actually think I would learn this stuff because I thought it was going to be complicated."

But after the third weekend of the class, his instructor Umberto Ricco, took him flying and now he has dreams of becoming a cargo or commercial pilot.

The 16-year-old has his private glider pilot license. Which means he's able to fly this motor glider. He plans to fly to seven HBCUs that were involved or teaching African Americans to fly during World War II.

"Most people don't realize that Tuskegee wasn't the only university or HBCU that was training pilots for World War II."

Horton's parents said they were skeptical about their son flying alone.

"When I saw a video that he sent me while he was flying from Florida to Illinois, the look on his face, he was so confident and he was at ease. That was peace of mind. That's all I needed to see," said Yolanda Sandifar-Horton, Zaire's mother.

Besides becoming a pilot, his other goal is to inspire teenagers to try something new.

"In Chicago, you don't really hear too much about people flying just like me, I didn't know."