P-51 C Mustang and Traveling Exhibit Honoring The Tuskegee Airmen to Appear at the Kansas City Air Show

The Kansas City Air Show is taking place this weekend on August 20 and 21 and will feature the U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt with live pyrotechnics. The Thunderbolt will be joined by a fantastic line-up of military and civilian performers and will include aircraft ranging from modern aerobatic planes to World War II warbirds. One warbird in particular will stand out to the crowd. The P-51C Mustang with its unmistakable red tail is part of an educational initiative to help patrons understand and appreciate the history and legacy of the special group of black pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen.

 

The CAF Red Tail Squadron, a volunteer-driven non-profit organization that is part of the Commemorative Air Force, completed a $1 million restoration of the Mustang - named Tuskegee Airmen - in 2009 and the airplane has been on the air show circuit ever since. At each stop, its pilots and crew take every opportunity to tell audiences the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps (now U.S. Air Force) and the thousands of other black men and women who supported them. The P-51C Mustang will be joined by the new CAF Red Tail Squadron RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit, a customized 53' trailer with expandable sides that houses a 160-degree curved movie screen and seating for 30 in climate-controlled comfort. A 14-minute original movie called "RISE ABOVE" focuses on what the Tuskegee Airmen - pilots and their support personnel - had to overcome to be allowed to fly and fight for their country during World War II. Admission to the exhibit is free of charge. Air show attendees will be spellbound as they hear how, after training at the segregated base in Tuskegee, Alabama, the Tuskegee Airmen pilots were sent first to Africa and then to Italy where they distinguished themselves as American military aviators. During their European tour, the Tuskegee Airmen proved that black men had the courage and intelligence to fly and fight effectively against the Axis powers, particularly the Germans. The Airmen and their crews painted the tails of their fighters red, and as these pilots proved their skill and courage in the skies over Italy and Germany, bomber pilots soon began requesting the "red tail angels." The Tuskegee Airmen flew thousand of sorties and earned hundreds of medals and designations, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 in honor of their war service to the United States. The CAF Red Tail Squadron's RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit and the red-tailed P-51C Mustang, Tuskegee Airmen, will be on display during the core hours (9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.) of the Kansas City Air Show on August 21and 21, 2011 at Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. The Mustang will also fly (weather permitting) as scheduled. Founded in 1993, the Kansas City Air Show is held at Kansas City Wheeler Downtown Airport and is one of America’s premier air shows. The air show showcases world-class aerobatic champions, military jet demonstrations and entertainment for the whole family. Mid-America Youth Aviation Association (MAYAA), formed in 1998, is a not-for-profit group that provides educational aviation and aeronautical opportunities for youngsters and produces the Kansas City Air Show. Support of the air show and its associated education programs is provided by donations and sale of tickets to the air show. For more information, visit www.kcairshow.com. Additional links: http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/goldenknights/; http://www.acc.af.mil/aerialevents/a10west/index.asp; http://www.turbo-shark.com/; http://www.redthunder.us/