AJ stands for Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. His reputation for toughness earned him the nickname "Old Hickory." A hero of the War of 1812, Jackson has appeared on the $20 bill since 1928.

Want to know more about the plane? More About the Plane

The Stearman biplane was used to train the Tuskegee Airmen from 1944 to 1946 at Moton Field in Alabama. It was decommissioned in 1946 and then was used for crop dusting.

The open cockpit biplane was restored by Air Force Capt. Matt Quy (rhymes with fly, as in "quiet") and he named it "Spirit of Tuskegee."

Capt. Quy flew it to Washington, D.C. so that it could be displayed permanently in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Quy donated the plane and received some money in return so that he can buy and fix up another biplane.

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I didn’t think when I woke up that morning that I would end my day flying in a plane.

Even more incredible is that it wasn’t just a regular airplane; it was a PT-13D U.S. Army Air Corps Stearman biplane!

The Tuskegee Institute used this classic plane during World War II for training the first group of African-American pilots to fly for the U.S. military.

A biplane is an airplane with two main wings, one above the other. The Wright brothers' Flyer was a biplane, as were most airplanes in the early years of aviation.

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Tuskegee Airmen changed history

The African American pilots in the 332nd Fighter Group who fought in World War II were called the "Tuskegee Airmen." This special group of aviators helped change our country’s history.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces. They trained in Tuskegee, Ala., in 1941 and flew in 1,578 missions usually as bomber escorts.

When I thought about flying...

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