Gallery: Alabama National Guard Red Tails participate in California Tuskegee Airmen celebration

Published On: 03.12.25 |

By: 416th Flight Test Squadron

Gallery: Alabama National Guard Red Tails participate in California Tuskegee Airmen celebration

A T-7A Red Hawk from the 416th Flight Test Squadron, F-35A from the Alabama Air National Guard and P-51D Mustang from the Palm Springs Air Museum fly in formation over Edwards Air Force Base after the 2025 Red Tail Rendezvous event. (Christian Turner / Air Force)

Alabama Air National Guard’s 187^th Fighter Wing Red Tails participated in California’s celebration of the famed Tuskegee Airmen Red Tails earlier this month.

The 416^th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base hosted Red Tail Rendezvous events as part of California’s formal Tuskegee Airmen Remembrance Day on March 7.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black pilots and ground crews serving in the Army Air Corps in segregated units. They trained at a separate airfield in Tuskegee and would go on to form the 99th Squadron and 332nd Bomber Group.

A highlight of the Red Tail Rendezvous was a shared flight between the 187^th’s F-35A Red Tail jet and the 416^th’s T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer, which also sports a red tail in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen legacy. A P-51D Mustang from the Palm Springs Air Museum like the Tuskegee Airmen flew, also joined in.

In a beneficial series of requirements, the F-35A was able to take advantage of a T-7A flying a test mission during departure to create this unique formation, while the event provided pilots with the Alabama Air National Guard key cross-country training hours.

A flight test aerial photographer was also scheduled for a proficiency mission the same afternoon, allowing this rare moment to be captured visually.

The Red Tail Rendezvous seeks to honor the rich history of the Tuskegee Airmen, reinforce warfighter standards and resiliency and amplify airman morale.

Guests from Tuskegee Airmen Inc., the Commemorative Air Force, Alabama Air National Guard, Palm Springs Air Museum and Edwards teammates attend a one-time-only Red Tail Rendezvous event at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Richard Gonzales / Air Force)

A T-7A Red Hawk from the 416th Flight Test Squadron, F-35A from the Alabama Air National Guard and P-51D Mustang from the Palm Springs Air Museum fly in formation over Edwards Air Force Base after the 2025 Red Tail Rendezvous event. (Christian Turner / Air Force)

Guests from Tuskegee Airmen Inc., the Commemorative Air Force, Alabama Air National Guard, Palm Springs Air and Space Museum and Edwards teammates attend a one-time-only Red Tail Rendezvous event at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Kyle Brasier / Air Force)

A T-7A Red Hawk from the 416th Flight Test Squadron and P-51D Mustang from the Palm Springs Air Museum fly in formation over Edwards Air Force Base after the 2025 Red Tail Rendezvous event. (Christian Turner / Air Force)

Guests from Tuskegee Airmen Inc., the Commemorative Air Force, Alabama Air National Guard, Palm Springs Air Museum and Edwards teammates attend a one-time-only Red Tail Rendezvous event at Edwards Air Force Base, California. To honor the rich history of the Tuskegee Airmen, reinforce warfighter standards and resiliency, and amplify airman morale, the 412th Test Wing hosted a special afternoon during California’s formal Tuskegee Airmen Remembrance Day on March 7. The event included panel discussions, STEM activities for base students and “red tail” static displays, including America’s newest jet trainer, the T-7A Red Hawk. (Richard Gonzales / Air Force)

A T-7A Red Hawk from the 416th Flight Test Squadron and an F-35A from the Alabama Air National Guard fly in formation over Edwards Air Force Base after the 2025 Red Tail Rendezvous event. (Christian Turner / Air Force)