We’re going to jot this down in our record book, because we just hit a remarkable milestone!

The CAF’s new RISE ABOVE dome theater program debuted this weekend thanks to some amazing collaboration, and for the first time ever our message of the Tuskegee Airmen reached simultaneous audiences! While we were busy engaging visitors at the Atlanta Warbird Weekend, our friends at the CAF Red Bird Education Squadron launched the first public showing of the RISE ABOVE dome theater at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow!

The CAF Red Bird Squadron is the second CAF unit to take up the challenge to bring the RISE ABOVE program to communities outside of the CAF Red Tail Squadron’s annual tour of the country with the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit and P-51C Mustang, and they were the first to publicly launch the theater. With support of the CAF Florida Wing, the first CAF unit to purchase the flagship dome theater, the CAF Red Bird Squadron was able to reach over 1,000 new kids and adults with the inspirational message of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Setting up inside the hangar next to static warbird aircraft in the Family Fun Zone created the perfect setting to attract visitors of all ages to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen. Guests were eager to step inside this pop-up panoramic theater to see our original film “Rise Above,” the same film we show in the Traveling Exhibit.

For the very first time, visitors at different events were able to have a similar RISE ABOVE experience. This is a major step forward toward fulfilling our mission and is a major achievement for the CAF headquarters’ education program. By collaborating on this effort, we are now able to share our RISE ABOVE program with CAF units around the country to independently bring the inspirational message of the Tuskegee Airmen directly into their communities.

No longer is our inspirational film and presentation about the Tuskegee Airmen limited to the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit! Our partners at the CAF Red Bird Squadron and the CAF Florida Wing are leading the way for all of the other 76 CAF units to step up to the challenge and build their own educational outreach programs, a trail that has been blazed by the CAF Red Tail Squadron’s successful RISE ABOVE: Red Tail outreach program.

Together, we are defying limits and expanding our horizons. With the CAF Red Bird Squadron’s successful launch of the dome theater in Dallas, the opportunities to honor the Tuskegee Airmen and inspire people through their history just grew exponentially! Bravo to all who have committed to honoring the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen!

 

The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to educating audiences across the country about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military pilots and their support personnel. Learn more at www.redtail.org.

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