Legacy Dinner May 14, 2010 & Aviation Industry Career Expo May 15, 2010

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, Kimberly and Kelly Anyadike Honored on CA State Senate and Assembly Floors

On August 17, 2009 high-flying sisters Kimberly and Kelly Anyadike were invited to Sacramento to be honored by Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Roderick Wright and Assemblyman Isadore Hall.

The trip was organized by Senator Rod Wright and sponsored by Bill Simone of Custom Design Construction, who flew Robin Petgrave, Tuskegee Airman Levi Thornhill and the sisters in a private Kingair to the Capitol. They received a very warm welcome from Senator Wright who presented them with a resolution on the Senate floor. They were also recognized and commended on the Assembly floor by Assemblyman Hall who presented them with beautiful framed resolutions.

To top it off, they spent some time privately with Governor Schwarzenegger who said he was proud and honored to meet the group. He commended Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum for being a place where kids like Kimberly can achieve their dreams. The Governor then presented Kimberly with a Governor’s proclamation and congratulated her on a job well done.

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Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Our semi-annual Legacy: A Tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen fundraising dinner and silent auction was held in July and was a roaring success. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Mae Jemison, NASA’s first African-American female astronaut. Dr Jemison commended Kimberly Anyadike on her achievements in aviation and inspired us all with her words of wisdom and encouragement.

The event was hosted by HOT 92.3 deejay Josefa Salinas. Other notable distinguished guests included Senator Roderick Wright, Senator Curren Price, April Lawrence representing Maxine Waters, Mayor Eric Perrodin, Councilwoman Lillie Dobson, Councilwoman Yvonne Arceneaux, Reena Singh with Compton Unified School District ROP, Steve Bradford with Southern California Edison, & Buffalo Soldiers to name a few.

Nearly all of the auction items were sold to enthusiastic bidders. Lucky high bidders took home a helicopter ride-along with the L.A. County Sherriff’s department, Alaska Airlines tickets and many other wonderful items.

Big thanks to all those who volunteered their time and money to make this event a success, including “Songs of Solomon”!

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Regional Archives
By Shari’ Wright – WI Contributing Writer
Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Unlike most teenagers, Kimberly Anyadike did not spend her summer vacation at the pool or in the malls, rather, the 15-year-old, participated in a program that deals with wind shear, touchdown zones and the center of gravity at an interactive aviation museum on the West Coast.

Anyadike, a student pilot at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum [TAM] in Compton, Calif., said that her interest in aviation was piqued three years ago when she first learned about the innovative program that offers minority students hands-on flight instruction and an introduction to opportunities in the field of aviation.

After three years of working full-time for flight time, Anyadike made history as the youngest African American female to fly across country – logging 7,000 miles – from Compton to Newport News, Va., in 13 days. Although it was a solo flight for the enthusiastic teenager, she had the benefit of a legend in the cockpit behind her.

“I got a rush whenever I took off, with my hands on the controls and throttle. But, I loved seeing everything,” Anyadike said. “When you’re on the ground you forget how beautiful the country is. I had to tell myself to soak in as much as possible.”

The thrill of flight isn’t lost on Robin Petgrave, the founder of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum. The veteran pilot, who serves as a father-figure to many of his students, said his staff works with about 800 children beginning at age eight.

“We introduce them to realms they may not ever [have] experienced. The students are allowed to [participate] in certain activities and in turn, exchange those hours for flight lessons,” Petgrave said.

When Anyadike initially approached Petgrave with the idea to fly across country, she had one request, if her wish was granted: that she dedicate her flight to the Tuskegee Airmen.

“I didn’t know anything about the Tuskegee Airmen until I got involved with [TAM]. I wasn’t taught about them in school. But, we have learned all about them and I was inspired,” Anyadike said.

Petgrave said the program also teaches students the history of aviation with the hope of engendering an interest in the field. Students learn science, math, geography and about notables in aviation that include the Tuskegee Airman.

“I was taken aback when Kimberly came into my office with her proposal, but she was firm and I immediately started to think of what this could do,” Petgrave said. “I want to continuously have the program work to uphold the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and Kimberly’s tribute would do that.”

Once the meeting had ended, Petgrave started to chart the course that would take Anyadike from her home state of California to Virginia and back. He also enlisted the help of Levi Thornhill, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen.

“I thought the idea was wonderful,” Thornhill, 87, said. “I went to the museum because I’ve always wanted to ignite the desire and curiosity of kids. You have to emphasize the importance of education.”

Thornhill, a former Propeller Specialist and P-47 crew chief with the Tuskegee Airmen, said that he was honored to take part in the trip and to co-pilot a plane named in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Petgrave hopes to accomplish even more.

“My goal is to acquire enough planes to name one for every Tuskegee Airmen, so they will fly with us forever,” he said.

Both Petgrave and Thornhill said they understand the impact history and aviation can have on young minds. Both men share a desire to spark the imagination of children. They said that they want to provide children with opportunities beyond what is offered in the schools. They would like to see more children take advantage of opportunities like the one afforded Anyadike.

“If you have something that excited you and [it’s made] available to you, you would do it,” Thornhill said.

Anyadike departed from Compton Woodley Airport in Compton, Calif. on Mon., Jun. 29. She made stops in cities that included Austin, Texas, Philadelphia, Pa. and Newport News, Va. She also made a special stopover in the Washington, D.C. area at College Park Airport in College Park, Md., where she was greeted by more of the original Tuskegee Airmen, local chapter members of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc., Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) and cheering supporters.

“Things like this motivate young people and enable them to do well in so many other areas. Because they see Kimberly, they may be inspired to go for one of their own major goals,” Richardson said.

Anyadike landed at Compton Woodley on Sat., July 11.

Kimberly Anyadike is greeted after landing at Compton Woodley Airport on Saturday. She is believed to be the youngest African American female to complete the flight across the country.

Trained how to fly in a program for disadvantaged youths, she is believed to be the youngest African American female pilot to make the trip across the U.S.

By My-Thuan Tran
July 12, 2009

A 15-year-old Los Angeles girl who navigated a single-engine Cessna through thunderstorms in Texas and took in breathtaking aerial views of Arizona’s sunsets landed her plane to cheering crowds at Compton Woodley Airport on Saturday. She is believed to be the youngest African American female pilot to fly solo across the country.

Kimberly Anyadike took off from Compton 13 days ago with an adult safety pilot and Levi Thornhill, an 87-year-old who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. They flew to Newport News, Va., making about a dozen stops along the way.

Anyadike learned to fly a plane and helicopter when she was 12 with the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which offers aviation lessons to at-risk youth and economically disadvantaged students through an after-school program. The organization owns the small plane Anyadike flew.

Anyadike said she loved the feeling of streaking across the sky. She told her mother that it was like a wild ride at Magic Mountain.

She came up with the idea to fly across the country a few months after learning to fly. Robin Petgrave, the aeronautical museum’s founder, warned her that it would take a lot of preparation.

“I told her it was going to be a daunting task,” he said, “but she just said, ‘Put it on. I got big shoulders.’ ”

The organization said there is no official group that tracks such records, but their research showed that her trip at age 15 is rare among pilots.

Anyadike said she didn’t want to make the trip to set a record or become some kind of celebrity.

“I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,” she said. She also wanted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army Air Corps’ all-black combat unit that served during World War II.

“They left such a great legacy. I had big shoes to fill,” she said. “All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were stupid, that they didn’t have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just did what they wanted to do.”

Anyadike’s Cessna and the other planes at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum have red tails, similar to the Tuskegee Airmen’s planes.

During her cross-country trip, Anyadike met about 50 Tuskegee Airmen who autographed the Cessna. “That way they can fly with us forever,” Petgrave said.

my-thuan.tran@latimes.com

In 2008, on her 16th birthday, Kelly made her way into the Guinness Book of world Records by being the youngest African-American female to solo in four different fixed-wing aircraft on the same day. Kelly has been involved in Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum’s flight program since she was 15.

Kelly has completed college-level art, speech and sign language courses at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. She has been a junior lifeguard and enjoys surfing and golf. She has been tap dancing for 3 years at the Lula Washington Dance Academy, where she is also studying modern ballet. Kelly is a youth member at her church where she volunteers donating food and clothing to the homeless in downtown Los Angeles. She reads music and plays piano and the flute. Kelly enjoys writing and art and is taking art classes at Plaza De La Raza.

Now 17, Kelly will be a Junior in the fall at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies and will be attending UCLA after she graduates in 2010.

Kimberly Anyadike Biography

Born in Los Angeles in 1994, Kimberly Anyadike never remembers a time in her fifteen years she wasn’t interested in flying. Her passion for aviation began with a 20-minute demo flight at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, a flight school and youth mentoring center in Compton, CA. Kimberly washed airplanes and did other tasks to earn “museum dollars” that she traded in for flight lessons. Among the mentors available to kids in the program are several Tuskegee Airmen, who Kimberly has been immensely inspired by.

Exposed to a wide range of activities, Kim was a junior lifeguard at Venice Beach for five years, where she also learned how to surf. She attended the Lula Washington Dance Academy, taking ballet, hip-hop and tap dance classes. Kimberly is a youth member at her church where she learned how to read music, and is now learning how to play piano, violin and guitar.

Most recently she has completed college courses at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, the Saturday Science Academy at Charles Drew University and is taking a range of art courses at the Plaza De La Raza. She volunteers to feed the homeless in downtown Los Angeles and is very active in her church, while maintaining her G.P.A in order to attend Stanford, Yale or Harvard University upon graduating from high school in 2012. Kimberly’s career goal is to become a cardio-vascular surgeon with a pilot’s license.

15 YEAR-OLD GIRL COMPLETES “SEA TO SHINING SEA” FLIGHT

Compton, California – July 20, 2009 (TAM) Fifteen-year-old Kimberly Anyadike (on-ya-DEE-kay) has accomplished her dream by piloting a single-engine red-tail airplane from Compton, CA to Newport News, VA and back to Compton. Upon her departure on June 29th and garnering worldwide news coverage, Kimberly flew out over the Pacific Ocean before turning east to Newport News, where she flew out over the Atlantic on July 5th to truly complete her sea-to-shining sea voyage. Kimberly returned home to a cheering and adoring crowd on July 11.

About her motivation, Kimberly said “I wanted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen and their great legacy. Levi Thornhill has been a great mentor and a friend has and I also want to be an inspiration to other kids my age. And now I’ve fulfilled pretty much all my requirements to get my pilot’s license when I’m 17 all in one trip!”

The week after her return, Kimberly was honored with an award by County of Los Angeles Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and received a personal invitation to the California State Capitol from Governor Schwarzenegger. She will also be receiving a commendation from the City of Los Angeles presented by Councilwoman Janice Hahn. Expected to attend a benefit dinner honoring Kimberly and the Tuskegee Airmen is US Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who will present a commendation. Kimberly will also be receiving an award from the City of Los Angeles presented by Councilwoman Janice Hahn, and the city of Inglewood’s Mayor Roosevelt Dorn has a presentation in store for Kimberly as well.

Accompanied by safety pilot Ronell Norman and Tuskegee Airman Levi Thornhill after whom the airplane was named, the trio made stops in 23 cities including Phoenix, Tuscon, El Paso, Austin, Dallas, Little Rock, Tuskegee, Jackson, Atlanta, Goldsboro, Columbia, Lynchburg, Youngstown, Newport News, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago. Tuskegee Airmen were on hand in every city to autograph the Cessna 172.

Stops of special note were in Washington, DC where Congresswoman Laura Richardson came to congratulate Kim and Tuskegee, Alabama Mayor Omar Neal officially proclaimed July 2 “Kimberly Anyadike Day”. Both Kimberly and her older sister Kelly, who in 2008 was the youngest African-American female to solo in four different fixed-wing aircraft on the same day, were offered full scholarships to Tuskegee University. Both girls were inspired to their accomplishments by the Tuskegee Airmen, the African American pilots who flew with distinction during World War II as the 332nd Fighter Group of the US Army Air Corps.

The 10-day trip is sponsored by Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM) which provides scholarships and after-school programs for young aspiring pilots and at-risk youth. Safety pilot Ronell Norman is a graduate of the program and currently an airline pilot. Kimberly has been a part of the Compton Airport–based program and has been flying since she was 12. Kimberly visited with members of the East Coast chapter of TAM in hopes of inspiring and motivating her fellow students by showing if she can do it, they can too.

Another major sponsor, Air Cargo Carriers, will honor Levi Thornhill buy presenting him with an American flag that has traveled the world and flown over all of our military bases in Iraq.

Besides being named after Thornhill, the red-tail Anyadike flew is autographed by him and a permanent placard is mounted in the cockpit to remind the students that when they fly, the Tuskegee Airmen fly with them. Through TAM’s flight program, Petgrave stresses the importance of history, heritage and legacy by educating children about the Airmen. Each of TAM’s airfleet is named after, dedicated to and autographed by different living Tuskegee Airmen who often visit the TAM center.

In addition to aviation, TAM offers after-school educational programs, gang and drug intervention, life skills, safe haven and many other activities designed as an alternative to self- destructive behaviors. TAM is noted for being the recipient of a unanimously passed United States Congressional Resolution 532 in recognition of the museum’s achievement and success in teaching aviation, engineering, and flying to “at-risk” and economically disadvantaged minority students.

A fundraising gala celebrating Anyadike’s accomplishment will follow, giving the public an opportunity to meet and greet heroes of the past, present and future including keynote speaker Mae Jemison, NASA’s first African-American female astronaut. The star-studded event will be hosted by LA Radio personality Josefa Salinas and will include dinner and an auction with many celebrity-donated items. The gala will be held in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen at the World War II aviation- themed restaurant the Proud Bird in Los Angeles on July 25.

A 15-year-old Los Angeles girl who navigated a single-engine Cessna through thunderstorms in Texas and took in breathtaking aerial views of Arizona’s sunsets — landed her plane to cheering crowds at Compton Woodley Airport today, becoming the youngest African American female pilot to fly solo across country.

Kimberly Anyadike took off from Compton 13 days ago with an adult safety pilot and Levi Thornhill, an 87-year-old who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. They flew to Newport News, Va., making about a dozen stops along the way.

Anyadike learned to fly a plane and helicopter when she was 12 with the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, an after-school program that offers aviation lessons to at-risk youth and economically disadvantaged students. The organization owns the small plane.

She loved the feeling of streaking across the sky. She told her mom that it was like a wild ride at Magic Mountain.

Always up for a challenge, she came up with the idea to fly across the country a few months after learning to fly. Robin Petgrave, the aeronautical museum’s founder, warned that it would take a lot of preparation. “I told her it was going to be a daunting task,” he said, “but she just said, ‘Put it on. I got big shoulders.’ ”

Anyadike said she didn’t want to make the trip to set a record or become some kind of celebrity. “I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,” she said. She also wanted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army Air Corps’ all-black combat unit who served during World War II.

“They left such a great legacy. I had big shoes to fill,” she said. “All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were stupid, that they didn’t have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just did what they wanted to do.”Me.0711.Pilot.2

Anyadike’s Cessna and the other planes at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum are painted with red tails, similar to the Tuskegee Airmen planes.

During her cross-country trip, Anyadike met about 50 Tuskegee Airmen who autographed the Cessna. “That way they can fly with us forever,” Petgrave said.

How will the young pilot celebrate? “By sleeping,” she said with a giggle.

– My-Thuan Tran

Me.0711.Pilot.1

Photo: Kimberly Anyadike, 15, is greeted after landing Saturday at Compton’s Woodley Airport. Credit: Tony Marshall

Photo: The Cessna aircraft piloted by 15-year-old Kimberly Anyadike arrives in Compton. Credit: Tony Marshall

Photo: Retired Major Levi Thornhill, 86, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, greets Kimberly Anyadike after arriving in Compton. Credit: Fontaine J. Marsi.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/teenage-girl-flies-a-plane-across-the-county.html