Winter Haven

Fantasy of Flight

  via Facebook

Another nice story from our celebration of the Tuskegee Airmen— Yesterday, many of us were honored to meet a uniformed gentleman named Capt. Reggie Davis (see picture), who had driven over from Tampa for a special reason: “Today is the first opportunity I have had to speak to an original Tuskegee Airman in person and to thank them for inspiring me to become a pilot in the Navy as well as an airline pilot.” Pressed for more details, he shared the following, “I grew up in inter-city Detroit, and like many young men I knew, I could have ended up in jail… or passed away. But fortunately, I lived by the Detroit city airport, where I would see the airplanes. I wanted to fly, but I didn’t know any black pilots. Then someone told me about the Tuskegee Airmen and what they did. As I learned more about them, I decided I WOULD TRY. You see, before that, I didn’t apply myself at school, but knowing about them convinced me to work hard. I went to the Tuskegee Institute and got a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1976. Then I joined the Navy to fly and became an Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer. I retired after 21 years service as a Commander out of the US Navy Air Reserves. Then I got a masters degree in Business Management and currently fly as a pilot for US Airways—based in Washington National Airport, flying the Air Bus A320.” At no point in his story did Capt. Davis seem to be bragging at all. Instead he presented his life story as a tribute to the men who lit the spark within him—The Tuskegee Airmen. Thanks, Capt. Davis, for sharing your inspiring journey with all of us!

February 10, 2012