The Sky’s the Limit - Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)

For the fourth year in a row, Louisville Regional Airport Authority is celebrating February as Black History Month with an exhibit about pivotal African American figures in aviation. The display originally appeared in 2021 at Bowman Field, one of the oldest continually operating general aviation airports in the U.S., but was later moved to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) so more visitors could enjoy it.

“This exhibit was a success last year, and we are glad to offer this free experience to our community once again,” says SDF Executive Director Dan Mann. “We hope to educate and inspire more people on the importance of Black achievement in aviation and celebrate the advancements that each of these leaders piloted.”

The Sky’s the Limit features photos and information about 14 individuals and organizations that made a lasting impact on the industry. Subjects include Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman and first Native American to obtain a pilot license; Robert Lawrence, a U.S. Air Force major who was the first Black astronaut at NASA; and the more widely known Tuskegee Airmen from World War II. Video segments showcase local figures such as Keith Buckner, the first Black air traffic controller at SDF.

After conceiving the idea, the Airport Authority worked with local and industry advisors to distill a long list of remarkable Black figures. Then, it hired a local marketing firm to research and create displays about their achievements and chronicle the adversities they overcame.

The exhibit is displayed in SDF’s central rotunda, just outside the entrances of both concourses. To amplify the local impact and educational value, the Airport Authority sponsors a student art contest. Kindergarteners through 12th graders are invited to create their own artwork based on what the exhibit means to them. Winning entries from various age categories are displayed with the following year’s exhibit, and the grand prize winner (10 years or older) receives a full scholarship to the Louisville Aviation Camp at Bowman Field.

This summer, The Sky’s the Limit will make an encore appearance at SDF to mark Juneteenth and reiterate the Black community’s important contributions to aviation.