Mayor Haygood’s Aerial Adventure

Mayor Haygood’s aerial adventure happened on October 19, 2017 as an experience with the Alabama Air National Guard.

Mayor Haygood said the hardest part was settling his nerves as his body reacted to flight conditions. He said it is a challenge not to pass out or vomit because of the air pressure and force of gravity.

The mayor said it was a beautiful experience to fly high up in the sky in an F-16 Fighting Falcon alongside Colonel William Sparrow. The flight plan started in Montgomery at Dannelly Field and flew over Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.  At one point Mayor Haygood was at the controls and banked to the left as the plane passed over Moton Field in Tuskegee.

From this aerial vantage, he also saw Lake Tuskegee, a lot of farm land, Highway 80 and Victoryland.  When the plane landed, he felt extremely tired and off balance. The mayor now knows why pilots must be in tip-top shape. He also learned that only a small percentage of African-Americans pursue careers in aviation and that the Red Tail Scholarship Foundation is working to increase the numbers.

For more information on the Red Tail Scholarship Foundation, click here.