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17 When the museum got the B-25, it was an empty shell. Since then, employees at the museum have stripped off years of old paint to reveal a gleaming exterior and they've refurbished the cockpit using original parts. "It will be like looking into a time machine," said Barsanti about the museum's vision for the final product. Each of the museum's exhibits reveals careful aention to detail. When building exhibits, the museum staff always seeks a reliable source to ensure authenticity. "It really lends credibility to the project," explained Barsanti. "If we can't talk to someone who was there, we try to read a memoir." You can see this effort and care in the lile things of the exhibits, like a correctly dated magazine or historically accurate socks and shoes on a mannequin. "We use the aircra to draw people in, but then we have the "This bomber helps us tell a story of overcoming obstacles and breaking down barriers." – Brian Barsanti, executive director, Southern Museum of Flight opportunity to share much larger stories," said Barsanti. "This bomber's story is a huge part of desegregation and a huge part of the Tuskegee Airmen's history. This bomber tells the story of a double victory: defeating the Germans, but also defeating segregation." The museum expects to complete restorations on the B-25 and finish the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit for a February 2018 reveal, just in time for Black History Month. The impressive Tuskegee exhibit is just one of the museum's offerings. Guests can also see a jet from the Korean War, helicopters from the Vietnam War and other exhibits. The museum does more than connect visitors to history through its exhibits; it's also working to support students hoping to go into flight-related fields. In 2016, the museum launched a scholarship program for women in aviation. The scholarship was created in honor of Mary Alice Beay, an Alabamian and important figure in the history of aviation. Beay was also the first curator at the Southern Museum of Flight and a driving force in its creation. This scholarship will help women pursue careers in aviation-related fields, whether that means helping pave the way for a female pilot to go to flight school or supporting a young woman hoping to go into management in a field associated with aviation. The museum is home to around 100 aircra, housed inside and outside its walls. The museum staff hopes to one day move into a larger space that can beer accommodate all of the artifacts as well as visitors. In 2016, the year of the museum's 50th anniversary, more than 60,000 people came through the doors. Arts & Culture

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