WFO Little Rock Participates in Black Pilots
of America "Operation Skyhook"
(MAY 25-28) -- WFO Little Rock Senior Forecaster/Aviation Focal Point Newton Skiles recently participated in "Operation Skyhook" -- the 10th Annual Memorial Day Fly-In of the Black Pilots of America (BPA). This year's fly-in was held at Grider Field in Pine Bluff, Ark. The BPA was established in 1997 to train youth to participate and advance in various types of employment within the field of aviation, and to stimulate and encourage broader job opportunities for under privileged youth in all phases of aviation. Newton made a presentation describing the products and services the National Weather Service provides to the aviation community. He also set up a display featuring National Weather Service aviation services and aviation weather hazards. Hand-outs on the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) and links to informative aviation websites were provided as well as Pilot Weather Resource CDs. Newton provided the pilots with daily weather outlooks for the Pine Bluff area, and participated in a safety meeting along with representatives from the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration. Other Fly-In activities included Flour Bomb Drops, Pylon and Formation Flying competitions, and a Balloon Bursting competition. Pilots also provided free plane rides to area youths. A total of 105 attendees, including famed Tuskegee Airman Lewis Lynch -- registered for the fly-in with 40 aircraft participating. They came from as far away as California, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. BACK: SRH News |
