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The U.S. military prides itself on its colorblind attitude to race and its increasing diversity. Why, then, does the field of naval aviation remain overwhelmingly white, and less diverse in some areas now than two decades ago? Three black aviators who share remarkably similar stories of getting expelled from the training pipeline say unconscious bias is to blame. These former trainees, some of whom remain in appeals with the Navy, say they're just as good as their white peers, and an instructor backs their assertions. Investigations, formal complaints, and a troubling aviation instructors' chat history paint a picture of an environment that dooms minority aviators from the moment they set foot on the flightline.