Legacy Flight Academy (LFA) drew more than 80 students to its recent Eyes Above the Horizon event at Moton Field, home of the Tuskegee Airmen in Tuskegee, Alabama. Dedicated to providing youth aviation programs that draw upon the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, LFA last held Eyes Above the Horizon at Moton Field in 2019 in an event that featured Tuskegee Airman Brigadier General Charles McGee.
Held on March 26, the event provided an opportunity for students to take a flight, some for the first time, and meet and receive mentorship from military and commercial airline pilots.
“The Red Tail Scholarship Foundation and Box Aviation flew a lot of the students, and we were also able to tour the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site as a part of our character lessons,” said Kenneth Thomas, LFA president and founder of Eyes Above the Horizon. Boeing hosted a STEM workshop and Aviation Supplies and Academics distributed “Plotting Your Course” information discussing college and career lessons.
“You just never know the impact you will have,” said Dean Hall, Eyes Above the Horizon Tuskegee event manager. “I met a little kid five or six years ago at an Eyes Above the Horizon event, and his parents found me today to share that he plans on going to the U.S. Air Force Academy to become a pilot. This is why we do what we do.”
LFA, which holds events across the nation to reach underserved and underrepresented communities, in February held its largest program yet in Charleston, South Carolina, where participants flew 114 youth in collaboration with the USAF’s “Accelerating the Legacy" Black History Month event.
Original LFA founder Kenyatta said, “When I think about how LFA started 10 years ago, the impact we’re currently making, and where we will be 10 years from now, I can’t help but be motivated.”
Funded through sponsorships and donors, LFA is kicking off its annual Tuskegee99 fundraising campaign via social media on April 9 and is planning its next Eyes Above the Horizon event, which is expected to be scheduled later this year in Northern California.
