After being rejected by all of the area flight schools, as well as the Army Air Corps because of his race, Powell finally was accepted to the Los Angeles School of Flight in 1928. In four years, he not only received his pilot license, but also was certified as a navigator and aeronautical engineer.  

As a tribute to Bessie Coleman, the first African-American to obtain a pilot's license in the U.S., Powell created Bessie Coleman Aero clubs as a way to introduce flying and aviation to the African-American public nationwide. He also created the first Black-owned airplane building company and envisioned the firm as a way to hire African-Americans to design, build and maintain aircraft throughout the U.S. 

In 1929, America's only black U.S. representative, Oscar DePriest, made a visit to Los Angeles, and was honored when Powell made a flyover above the parade DePriest was attending and named the plane after the congressman. Later Powell took the congressman on a flight in the plane and noted to DePriest that it was the first instance of a congressman being flown by an African-American. 

Two years later, Powell would host the nation's first all-black airshow, drawing more than 15,000 attendees. It was also during this time that Powell's dream of all-Black flying clubs and airshows began to take root, with clubs cropping up in major cities like Chicago and New York, as well as other cities throughout the country. Aviator pioneers such as James Banning, Thomas Allen, C. Alfred Anderson and Albert Forsythe began breaking distance records, with transcontinental flights from the East to West coasts.