Brig. Gen. Richard Clark, U.S. Air Force Academy commandant of cadets, takes the Stearman PT-13D Spirit of Tuskegee for “a spin” during its stopover at the Academy July 11. The aircraft is making its last cross-country flight to be part of the inaugural exhibitions of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Mike Kaplan)
James H. Harvey III, a documented original Tuskegee Airman, talks to basic cadets during his visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy airfield Monday. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Mike Kaplan)
7/15/2011 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Seven of the original Tuskegee Airmen greeted "The Spirit of Tuskegee," a Stearman PT-13D World War II trainer aircraft at the Academy Monday as it makes its last cross-country flight to its new home in Washington, D.C.
The Tuskegee Airmen received their initial flying training aboard the Stearman before shipping out to Europe where they helped win the air war for the allies against Germany's formidable air force, called the Luftwaffe.
Decommissioned from the Army in 1946, the Stearman spent several decades as a crop duster, eventually falling into disrepair and all but forgotten. But in 2005, the aircraft was purchased by Capt. Matt Quy and his wife Tina, and was fully restored to flying condition.
The Stearman spent several years as a featured attraction at airshows around the country, and was used to educate the public about the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.
"The Spirit of Tuskegee" will be on display as part of the inaugural exhibitions of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Created by Congress and being built at a cost of $500 million, the museum will open in 2015 on the National Mall on a five-acre site adjacent to the Washington Monument.
The Tuskegee Airmen who attended the event recounted their experiences as student pilots aboard the Stearman and as commissioned officers fighting the war in Europe.
