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       *Jonathan Strickland, a 14-year old African American helicopter and airplane pilot at the Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, successfully landed a Robinson R44 helicopter at the Compton/Woodley Airport, making him the youngest African-American pilot to fly a helicopter round trip internationally and netting him the last in a total of four world records.        

       Jonathan’s final leg home from Canada meant battling heavy turbulence along the coast of Oregon state, and flying a total of 15 hours and over 1,000 miles with stops in Portland and Medford, Oregon; and Monterey and Paso Robles, California.                

       “I met a lot of people along the way who cheered me on to fulfill my dream of flying a plane and a helicopter on the same day” said Strickland.  “Taking this trip gave me the opportunity to see a whole new world, and to discover that there is so much more out there for me. Hopefully, other children will see me and feel the same way about their future.”

       Strickland’s flight through Canada brought with it three more world records – among them, the youngest African-American to fly a helicopter internationally and the youngest person to solo a plane and helicopter on the same day.

       Upon his landing on July 1, Strickland was given a hero’s welcome by family and friends and was honored to be greeted by his mentors, the Tuskegee Airmen, including original airmen Ted Lumpkin, Levi Thornhill, Jerry Hodges,  Andrew Wallace, and Western Region Vice President Ralph Smith among others.

       “Today the past represented by the Tuskegee Airmen greets the future represented by young pilot Jonathan Strickland,” stated museum Director Robin Petgrave. “These young kids are the Compton Experiment, children who are supposed to fail, but like the men and women of the Tuskegee Experiment, not only accomplish great feats, but excel above all others.  The children you see here will one day play a major role in America as the pilots, astronauts and engineers of the future, proudly carrying forth the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.”                                 

      Jonathan received his training as a member of the Aviation Explorer Program at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, a Congressionally-recognized non-profit that teaches disadvantaged children to fly planes and helicopters, for free, in return for community service.