Program Hopes to Encourage Minority Aviators

Saturday, July 21, 2012 will be a special day in the lives of a special group of students. The inaugural class of the Legacy Flight Academy will receive their diplomas as the first of what could be the next generation of Tuskegee Airmen. The Academy is a collaborative effort between Tuskegee University, the Chicago Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Golden Eagle Aviation and the National Park Service. Founded by U. S. Air Force Caaptain Kenyatta Ruffin, the academy is a two week training program for teens age 16-19. The program includes flight training and mentoring to help at-risk youth hrough aviation education and to encourage more minorities to pursue aviation careers.

Legacy Flight Academy is located on historic Moton Field, the exact field where the original Tuskegee Airmen received their flight training. The students live and study at Tuskegee University during some of their training where they receive lessons in flight training and physics as well as use of a flight simulator from the university's aviation engineering department. Saturday's graduation ceremony will be held immediately following groundbreaking ceremonies for new hangars at Golden Eagle Aviation in Tuskegee, AL.

FMI: www.legacyflightacademy.org