In 2023, the Tuskegee Airman display will include two special aircraft exhibits…the Stearman and the North American T-6G 49-3292. The aircrafts have a unique history and are sponsored by the National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen in Detroit, MI. The North American T-6G 49-3292 was manufactured at the North American Aviation Factory in Dallas, TX, as AT-6C s/n 42-48884, this advanced trainer was received by the Army Air Forces on March 27, 1943. From then until November 1945 it was assigned to the 2143rd AAF Base Unit at Tuskegee, AL. Tuskegee Army Air Field was the site of the first pilot training facility for African-Americans in the then-segregated United States military. To learn more about the aircraft click here.
The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who volunteered to become America's first African-American military airmen in WWII. More than 960 African-American military aviators were trained at Tuskegee Institute, an isolated training complex in Alabama. Under the command of Col. Benjamin O. Davis (who later became the U.S. Air Force's first black general), more than 450 African-American fighter pilots fought in the aerial war over North Africa, Sicily and Europe. These gallant men flew 15,553 sorties and completed 1,578 missions, destroyed 261 enemy aircraft, and won over 850 medals with the 12th Tactical U.S. Army Air Force and the 15th Strategic U.S. Army Air Force.
While you are at the Air Show, visit the Tuskegee Airman Display to learn more about these remarkable pilots that overcame segregation and racism to become a decorated flying force during WWII. Meet the veterans and learn about the many careers and opportunities aviation offers all of us. To learn more about the National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen click here.
