He was an early graduate of the Curtiss Flying School, where he earned his International Pilot's License (FAI #105) on March 20, 1912.

Emory passed his flying test on 20 March 1912, and was awarded his international FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) license #105 at the school, issued by the Aero Club of America.

These licenses were issued through the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce (later the FAA), and were required for his ongoing work as a pilot for the Aero Service Corporation as well as Dallin Aerial Surveys.

[citation needed] On 4 March 1928, Mr. Malick took off from Crescent Airport in Camden with two passengers, when suddenly his engine died.

Malick...Prevents Real Tragedy at Camden Yesterday" (Sunbury Daily Item), "Air Pilot's Skill Saves 3 in Crash" (Trenton Evening Times), and "Pilot Malick Saves Himself and Spectators in Making Heroic Landing" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

The following 20 May, after years of successful flying, Mr. Malick suffered severe injuries in another crash, this one near Woodbury, NJ, where his passenger was killed.

"[3][4] The Air & Space/Smithsonian published a subsequently retracted article, entitled "The Unrecognized First"[1] in March 2011 suggesting Emory was the first licensed black aviator.

"[1] Since that time, Mary Groce has written two children's books about her great uncle, "Lila Tells the Story of Emory Conrad Malick, Our First Licensed Black Pilot," and "Aunt Cora's Wart, An Historical Faerie Tale: Nipper Fest!"

In 2014, black aviation historian Guy E Franklin released a book entitled "Emory Conrad Malick: A Closer Look" .

[11] The author collected and presented many source documents which showed that Malick was actually white, and hence not the first licensed Black aviator.