Arlington Fly-In and New Members

 
It has become a yearly event--a meeting at the Arlington Fly-In, Arlington Airport.  Barbara Tolbert, the Executive Director of the event again made arrangements for us to meet in a tent as our venue. 
Before the program we inducted two new members:
 
Tom Smith – transferring from the Bellevue Sunrise club, law classification, with his mentor Bruce Stedman. Tom practices out of his home on Lake Ki.
Kim Gustafson - manufacturing classification, with stand-in mentor, Bucky Tart. Kim manufactures 3D printers.
 
The speaker, arranged by Barbara, was Mike Biehn:
Mike is with the Commemorative Air Force, which  restores war airplanes and civil planes connected to war. 
 
There is a Tuskegee exhibit (“Rise Above”) at the Fly In this year that has a fully restored plane and movie about the history of the Tuskegee airmen.  Commemorative Air Force wants to highlight the Tuskegee airmen overcoming adversity.  The RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit highlights the courage and determination of the Tuskegee Airmen, who overcame obstacles to train and fight as U.S. Army Air Corps pilots, and what it means to us 60 years later.
 
A lot of the airmen were pilots but some were not.  No black pilots in the military at the time.  They had to overcame prejudice.  "Be ready to go" was one of their mottos. 
They expected to win because of their mindset.  95% of Tuskegee airmen were college graduates.  Tuskegee airmen lost 66 airmen and 20+ bombers. 
The exhibit highlights overcoming adversity and rising above what is holding you down.
Mike Biehn