Delaware State University has named the Chair of the University’s Aviation Advisory Council, CJ Charlton, as its new Aviation Program Director. A 1995 graduate of the University’s very same Aviation Program, Captain Charlton brings a wealth of flight and leadership experience flying for United Airlines.
Currently, he flies the Airbus 319/320/321 and previously piloted Boeing 737, 757, 767, and 777 aircraft – accumulating more than 7,300 hours of flight time. He is also a retired Major from the North Carolina Air National Guard where he was a C-130 pilot, accumulating over 3,000 hours, 1,500 of which were in combat conditions.
Captain Charlton will serve in the role while fulfilling his responsibilities as a Newark-based Captain with the airline.
Currently, Captain Charlton is the Chair of the University’s Aviation Advisory Council, responsible for leading, supporting, and promoting the education of 163 aviation students.
He founded the Black Aviation Endowment Fund (BAEF), which funds aspiring aviators, and supports HBCU aviation programs and minority organizations offering aviation education and training. Captain Charlton serves as a mentor and teacher, having served on selection panels, mentored future officers, managed aircrews, and led high-visibility military missions worldwide.
“Captain Charlton brings a wealth of aviation experience to this role and I look forward to working with him. I cannot think of anyone more passionate, qualified, and committed to our students and program,” said Dr. Tony Allen, President of Delaware State University. “We are extremely thankful to Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Hales for his commitment and leadership to DSU and wish him the best in his new endeavor.”
After seven years of leading and managing the Aviation Program’s growth and expansion, 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 school wholly owned and operated by United Airlines in Goodyear, Arizona.
In Hales’ tenure at DSU, the Aviation Program tripled from 57 students to its current 163 and saw the University invest in 15 new aircraft and build a Helicopter Flight Training Program with the United States Army ROTC.
He was instrumental in raising $4 million in donations in support of the Aviation Program, founded the annual HBCU Aviation Director’s Summit, and obtained FAA self-examining authority for four of the six certifications/ratings, saving more than $6,000 per student in Designated Pilot Examination fees.
