Airplanes and rockets fascinate young minds. To help inspire students, Shawn Osborn, Branch Director Jelleff Club – Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW) picked up excellent Air and Space Museums around the country for this virtual field trip and guided the tour. Colonel Tucker Hamilton, USAF narrated the tours providing students a fighter pilot’s view of each aircraft’s history. His ‘from the cockpit’ perspective gave the students a rare glimpse into the incredible world of aviation and the future potential that motivates young people to consider STEM careers.
Col. Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton is an Experimental Fighter Test Pilot for the US Air Force. He is currently serving as the Director of the newly created Air Force/MIT AI Accelerator. Prior to this Col. Hamilton was the Director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force and Commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Col. Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton supported multiple Red Flag Exercises and real world Operation Noble Eagle missions where he protected the President of the United States; at times escorting Air Force One. He served as the Chief Instructor for 200+ aircrew and as lead test pilot on 11 test programs for the 450+ F-15 fleet. Col. Hamilton received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee and M.S. in Flight Test Engineering from the USAF Test Pilot School. Col. Hamilton is a senior pilot with combat experience and more than 1,700 flying hours in the F-35A/B/C, F-15C/D/E, F-18, F-16, A-10, T-38A/C, T-34, and T-6 and 20 additional aircraft. Thank you Col. Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton for supporting FAMES.
Shawn Michael Osborn is the Branch Director Jelleff Club – Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. Sincere thanks to Shawn for your dedication to youth STEM education and setting up this exciting program at a time when the museums are closed due to COVID-19. (081420)
FAMES® (www.famesusa.org) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring and educating underserved and underrepresented youth in Grades 4-12 in finance, arts, and STEM subjects. FAMES® programs inspire the students to attend college, bolster self-confidence, and help them develop a path for future professional success.