By Skies Magazine | August 24, 2012 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 52 seconds.
Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association pilot, Bill Shepard, is the latest aviator to be checked out on the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron’s P-51C Mustang, named “Tuskegee Airmen.” The aircraft, along with the “Rise Above” travelling exhibit, tells the story of the first African-American military pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War Two. In the 1940s, the U.S. military would not allow black men to train as pilots, but President Franklin D. Roosevelt eventually pressured the U.S. Army Air Corps to set up a training program in Tuskegee, Ala. From June 1943 until May 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen (then known as “Red Tails”) flew over 15,000 combat sorties and became highly respected for their bravery and fierce fighting during bomber escort missions over Germany.
Bill Shepard and his fellow pilot, Brad Lang, are the only two black men currently flying the rare C-model Mustang. Shepard joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets at a young age, going on to earn a commercial pilot’s licence with IFR and multi-engine ratings. In 2001, he joined the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association at Tillsonburg, Ont., where he began flying the famous World War Two trainer. Shepard earned his formation rating on the Harvard, and for several years now has flown the #4 Harvard in the association’s formation team that performs at airshows and events across North America. To encourage inner city youth in Toronto to pursue careers in aviation, Shepard formed the Urban Pilots Network, where aviation professionals mentor and encourage city youth to achieve their goals and dreams.
At the 2011 Geneseo Airshow in upstate New York, Shepard was invited to take a flight in the back seat of the P-51C Mustang. He was subsequently presented with the opportunity to become a Red Tail pilot. Encouraged by Brad Lang and Red Tail project leader, Doug Rozendaal, Shepard completed his flight training on the P-51C. One year after flying in the back seat of the Red Tail Mustang, Shepard flew it in the 2012 Geneseo Airshow, leading a missing man formation in a salute to veterans. On his 48th birthday, he achieved a personal goal by following the six guiding principles of the CAF Red Tail Squadron’s educational mission: aim high, believe in yourself, use your brain, never quit, be ready to go and expect to win.
