Greetings!
This time of year always has me thinking about all the things for which I am grateful, and that always starts with YOU!

Thanks to all who joined us for the final EAA Young Eagles rally on November 12 at Bult Field.

The "DODO" Chapter Formation Flight Team (that would be Victor Croswell, Keith Renfroe and me) brought our airplanes to Bult Field for the fall event.

I often feel that watching the excitement of young people taking their first flight is as much a thrill for us as it is for them. Our commitment to mentoring young people and exposing them to careers in the aviation industry will always be at the core of our values as an organization and as volunteers.
It's hard to believe it is already December! Wishing everyone a warm and joyful holiday season, full of friends, family and good cheer.
President
Chicago "DODO" Chapter
Tuskegee Airmen

Chapter Members Meet Secretary Buttigieg at
AIM in Chicago
Chapter Members, Victor Croswell, Keith Renfroe and Ken Rapier, at Aviation Institute of Maintenance with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
By Vince Saunders

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday, November 21, for the announcement that construction is cleared to start on the new passenger terminals at O'Hare International Airport. Numerous well-paying, temporary (construction-related) and permanent jobs are expected from the estimated $73M provided to O'Hare from the Biden Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law.

Secretary Buttigieg was in Chicago to highlight various infrastructure investments and visit with O'Hare workers, before holding a Town Hall with students at the Chicago campus of the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM).

American Airlines, through AIM, is providing educational and career preparation opportunities for students interested in the aviation maintenance profession. According to indeed.com, the 2022 average hourly pay rate for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians in Chicago is currently $30.60. (For more information on AIM visit aviationmaintenance.edu.)

Three pilots from the Chicago "DODO" Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen (CDCTAI), Victor Croswell, Keith Renfroe and Ken Rapier, were also on hand for the Town Hall event. They greeted Secretary Buttigieg following his tour of the AIM facility, noting that the goal of CDCTAI, namely “promoting post-secondary education and careers in the aviation and aerospace industries," intersects with the mission of AIM.

For more information about scholarship opportunities provided by CDCTAI and its partnership with RBS Drone Technologies to create a pathway for interested students to become licensed Commercial Drone Pilots, visit taichicago.org or rbsdronetech.com.
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