Benjamin O. Davis – Part 2
In July 1941, Davis entered aviation cadet training with the Tuskegee Airmen’s first class of aviation cadets, Class 42-C-SE. On March 6, 1942, Davis graduated from aviation cadet training with Captain George S. Roberts, 2nd Lt. Charles DeBow Jr., 2nd Lt. Mac Ross, and 2nd Lt. Lemuel R. Custis. Davis and his four classmates became […]
SR-72 Darkstar – Warbird Wednesday Episode #120
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting the Lockheed Martin concept plane SR-72 used in “Top Gun: Maverick” as Darkstar. The SR-72 is a successor of the retired SR-71 Blackbird and is a Hypersonic optionally manned aircraft with the purpose of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Lockheed Martin expects that the SR-72, which can reach speeds […]
Benjamin O. Davis – Part 1
In the summer of 1926, at the age of 13, Benjamin Davis went for a flight with a barnstorming pilot at Bolling Field in Washington, D.C. This proved to be a life-changing experience. Now he was determined to become a pilot himself. In 1929, amid the Great Depression, Davis graduated from Central High School in […]
Charles Hall
Tuskegee Airman Charles Hall made history for himself and his fellow 99th Fighter Squadron pilots. After three years of college, Charles enlisted in the US Army as an aviation cadet. He was a member of Tuskegee Class 42-F-SE. On completion of training, Charles B. Hall was commissioned as a second lieutenant of the U.S. […]
F-20 Tigershark – Warbird Wednesday Episode #118
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting what could be considered the best fighter designed but never built, the F-20 Tigershark. Development of the F-20 began in 1975 to combat the latest Soviet fighter aircraft. Evolving from the F-5E Tiger II, the Tigershark was faster, had better avionics, and had capability beyond visual range air-to-air. […]
Robert Ashby
Bob Ashby enlisted in the Army Air Corps at age 17 as a candidate for the Aviation Cadet program. He was called to active duty in August 1944. Bob was assigned to Keesler Field, Mississippi, for basic training and testing for entry into the Aviation Cadet Program. In December 1944, Ashby was sent to Tuskegee, Alabama, to begin cadet […]
EA-18 Growler – Warbird Wednesday Episode #117
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re joined by two special guests from the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake as we visit the EA-18G Growler. The EA-18 Growler is a carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft and one of the newest aircraft in the Navy Fleet. This Airborne Electronic Attack aircraft combines the latest electronic attack […]
Capt. Freddie E. Hutchins
Freddie Hutchins of Donaldsonville, GA, graduated from flight training on April 29, 1943, at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. In December, he deployed to Italy with the 302nd Fighter Squadron, part of the 332nd Fighter Group. The 302nd Fighter Squadron flew its first combat mission on February 5, 1944. Hutchins scored his first aerial […]
Paul Lehman
Paul David Lehman, Jr. was born on October 4, 1922. He enlisted in the United States Army in Los Angeles, California in November of 1942. He opted for aviation cadet training and quickly found himself on a train heading to Tuskegee, Alabama. Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Airfield were the focal points for the training […]
F-35 Lightning II – Warbird Wednesday Episode #116
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting a multi-role combat aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II. The F-35 is the apex of American advanced fighter design right now and is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world. Intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions, the F-35 provides electronic warfare and […]
Charles Alfred Anderson, Part 2
In 1941, the Tuskegee Institute Board of Directors decided to construct an improved airfield to enable more students to train for and obtain their pilot’s licenses. To do this, $200,000 would be needed to build the runway and facilities. One of the entities contacted as a possible source for funding was the Julius Rosenwald […]
Northrop YF-23 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #115
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting an advanced tactical fighter, the Northrop YF-23. In the 1980s, the USAF sent out a request for a proposal for a fighter aircraft to counter the Sukhoi Su-27.Built for survivability, supercruise, stealth and ease of maintenance, the YF-23 was one of two finalists for this proposal. Ultimately, it […]
Charles Alfred Anderson, Part 1
As a young boy, Charles Alfred Anderson was fascinated by airplanes and knew he just had to fly. By the time he was 20, he had saved enough money for flying lessons; however, no one would teach a young black man to fly. Not deterred, Anderson attended aviation ground school, where he learned airplane mechanics, […]
F-22 Raptor – Warbird Wednesday Episode #114
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting one of the most dominant fighters in the world, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. This airplane is the follow-on to the F-117, combining stealth, aerodynamic performance, and mission systems to develop a more lethal airplane on the battlefield. The F-22 Raptor is a 5th generation fighter with a […]
F-117 Nighthawk – Warbird Wednesday Episode #113
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting one of the most groundbreaking designs in the history of man flight, the F-117 Nighthawk. Based on the proof of concept design of the Have Blue, the F-117 was introduced in 1983 as a deep strike penetrator against high-value Soviet targets. Learn more about the top-secret stealth technology […]
Charles Bailey
Charles Phillip Bailey was born on November 25, 1918, in Punta Gorda, Florida. He was the son of Archie Bailey and Josephine Bailey. Bailey attended the historically black university Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he played football on a full scholarship. Bailey possessed a deep desire in becoming a pilot but, Bethune-Cookman University […]
Roscoe J. Brown, Pt. 2
The Messerschmitt 262 Jet Kill On March 24, 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen flew their longest mission of the war, escorting heavy bombers to Berlin (which was farther from their base in Italy than from American airfields in England). Over the German capital, they encountered Messerschmitt Me 262 jets. To confront the bombers and fighters, the […]
Lockheed Have Blue – Warbird Wednesday Episode #112
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting the first-fixed wing aircraft designed to avoid radar detection, the Lockheed Have Blue. The shape of Have Blue was based on, the Soviet Physicist and Mathematician, Petr Ufimtsev published work on the deflection of electromagnetic waves. This, proof-of-concept test stealth aircraft, was requested by DARPA and would later […]
Roscoe J. Brown Jr., Pt 1.
Roscoe C. Brown Jr. was squadron commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. During combat, he served as a flight leader and operations officer. He had graduated from the Tuskegee Flight School on March 12, 1944, as a member of class 44-C-SE. The 100th Fighter Squadron deployed to the war […]
NB-36 Nuclear Powered Bomber – Warbird Wednesday Episode #111
Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today we’re visiting the NB-36 a Nuclear Powered Bomber. This experimental airplane had a nuclear reactor inside the bomb bay and used nuclear fusion to power the aircraft. The NB-36 completed 47 test flights over New Mexico and Texas. It was determined that the nuclear reactor was safe for flight, but […]
Alexander Jefferson
When visiting with Alex, I immediately found him to be a very gracious and humble person. He has a bright personality that is accompanied by a joyful grin. Alex is simply a great person to be around. He is now 100 years old! Originally from Detroit, Alexander attained a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and […]
Rhea Seddon
In February 2020, the Palm Springs Air Museum honored Rhea Seddon for her outstanding achievements in space as a NASA Mission Specialist. Her portrait was added to the Museum’s “Wall of Fame.” Margaret Rhea Seddon had been awarded her doctor of medicine (MD) degree in 1973. She did her internship at the Baptist Memorial […]
First Lt. Walter Palmer
First Lt. Walter J.A. Palmer became a US Army Air Force pilot in 1943, graduating in class SE-43-F. He flew 158 combat missions over Italy and Germany during World War II. He was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. In February 1944, the 100th, 301st, and 302nd fighter squadrons […]
Rusty Burns
I met Rusty Burns while I was painting the Tuskegee Airmen mural at the Palm Springs Air Museum. I was up a ladder in the middle of the painting when I noticed a fellow watching me. I asked him if I could answer any questions. His reply was, “You’re painting me!” I came down from the […]
Lt. Col. Clarence Jamison
Clarence Jamison was a pioneering Tuskegee Airman with a 22-year history of military service during and after World War II. His life was one of historic firsts and accomplishments. While living in Chicago with an uncle and attending the University of Chicago, Clarence learned about the US government-sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program. The idea […]
Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran
Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran was born into poverty in the Florida Panhandle. At a young age, she became determined to make something of herself and to do great things and that she did. Becoming a beautician was her initial route to a better life. The next step was to get her pilot’s license and with […]
Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman’s short life was one of determination and excellence. Her influence stretched way beyond what she could have imagined, inspiring young black children to strive to become whatever they dreamed that they could be. Born in 1892 of sharecroppers, Bessie always had the desire to amount to something. When one of her brothers […]
Alton Ballard
I had been introduced over the phone to Alton Ballard by Bob Williams and was now en route to meet with him at his home in Baldwin Hills, California. When I arrived, I couldn’t help but notice that his house had a spectacular view of downtown Los Angeles. This was just the start of what […]
Captain Robert Williams
In 1996, days before the Palm Springs Air Museum was to open its doors to the public, Bob Williams came to the museum introducing himself as one of the Tuskegee Airmen. He had a grand idea for a mural that would honor the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen. A couple of days later, I came […]