Ageless Aviation honors veterans with open-cockpit flight
Ageless Aviation honors veterans with open-cockpit flight
Black and seven other Cheyenne residents between the ages of 71 and 95 had the rare treat of flying above Cheyenne in a two-seat 1942 Boeing Stearman biplane.
The Stearman has an iconic reputation, as the U.S. military used the sturdy planes to train thousands of pilots for World War II.
Passengers rode in the front seat, with Sommars piloting from behind them.
The free rides came courtesy of the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit group that honors U.S. military veterans across the country who live in long-term care facilities.
Black enlisted in the WAVES, a women's unit of the U.S. Naval Reserve, from 1944-48.
In the war, he drove a truck and towed a huge Howitzer weapon.
Miller, 71, served in Vietnam and was sent into the tight, confining underground tunnels that the Viet Cong built.
During the war, he suffered nerve damage after exposure to Agent Orange and now is in a wheelchair.
In addition to his volunteer work, Sommars also is a commercial pilot for American Airlines.