 While on leave in 1957, he applied for a pilot position with Continental Airlines, and was invited to be interviewed after having left blank the racial-identity question on the application.He also omitted pasting into the small square block provided in the upper right hand corner of the first page of the application, a picture of himself, Five other white applicants, less qualified, were hired.Per varying sources, he either was rejected then, or was hired as what would have been the nation's first African-American pilot for a major commercial airline, but was rejected after reporting for orientation.