EAA Project Soar Takes Off

Past and present aviation heroes inspired some of the nation’s most promising African American youth last weekend at the 36th Annual Negro Airmen International (NAI) Memorial Day Fly-In in Tuskegee (AL). With the help of national aviation organizations, including a strong showing by EAA members and staff, nearly 500 African American high school students attended the event, which is the nation’s largest annual gathering of black pilots.

Eyes On The Skies: Focus On Education

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of flight and the 60th anniversary of the first deployment of the Tuskegee Airmen, the main focus of the event was education. As NAI president Sam Jones declared, “The Tuskegee Airmen do not have to be the last of the great African-American pilots, but a key to the future inclusion of our kids.”

EAA’s Special Outreach with Aviation Resources (SOAR) staff helped the NAI board bring the FAA’s Aviation Career Education Camp (ACE) to the prestigious Tuskegee University campus, creating the largest ACE Camp in the country. Students at the pre-college ACE classes learn about aviation history and physics; participate in hands-on activities; tour museums; and even spend time in the air. On Saturday alone, volunteer pilots gave rides to 318 students, first flights for many of them. “Being in the plane has to be the most amazing and beautiful thing I have ever seen,” said Michigan student Stephanie Woody. “It was so perfect.”

Coordinated by Horace Sanchez, EAA’s SOAR program works to bring aviation education to underrepresented and at-risk youth. Sanchez accepted two awards at the NAI banquet on behalf of EAA for planning the event.

Encouraging Words

The students, who came from as far away as Detroit, were encouraged by outstanding African American aviators such as Jamail Larkins, a business major at Embry-Riddle University, aerobatic pilot and former national youth spokesman for EAA’s “Vision of Eagles” campaign. The rich history of the region also brought the opportunity to meet 12 surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the USAF “Top Gun” class of 1949. At Moton Airfield, training ground of the famous squadron of black World War II pilots, the JROTC students from Willow Run High School in Ypsilanti (MI) presented a flag honoring “Chief” Anderson, lead flight instructor who brought aviation to Tuskegee and trained the pilots of the 99th Pursuit Squadron.

Assessing the scope and activities of the weekend, Moton Field FBO manager Colonel R.J. Lewis, USAF (Ret.), said “History and the future collided at Tuskegee this past weekend!”

FMI: www.eaa.org