Red Tail Reborn facts for kids

Red Tail Reborn is a documentary film from 2007. It was made by Adam White. The film tells the story of the Commemorative Air Force's Red Tail Project. This project is all about restoring and showing a special World War II airplane. It's a P-51 Mustang that was flown by the United States Air Force 332d Fighter Group.

This plane is a flying tribute to the amazing Tuskegee Airmen. The movie helps people learn about the challenges and bravery of the Tuskegee Airmen. It also helped raise money to rebuild the plane after it crashed in 2004.

The film first aired in Ohio in 2007 and won local Emmy Awards. The next year, it was shown across the country on Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) stations. A sequel to the film, called Flight of the Red Tail, was released later.

The Story of the Red Tail Reborn Film

Red Tail Reborn shares an important story. It's about brave African American pilots who risked their lives for peace. It also tells about the people who work to make sure these heroes are never forgotten.

The film actually tells three stories at once:

• The story of the Tuskegee Airmen.
• The history of the "Red Tail Mustangs" planes they flew. One of these planes is the focus of the restoration efforts.
• The story of Don Hinz, who crashed the first restored Mustang plane in 2004.

The Tuskegee Airmen's Bravery

The film highlights the bravery of the Tuskegee Airmen. They served as escorts for bomber planes for the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II. They were the first African American military pilots in the country. This was a huge achievement, especially because many people at the time thought African American men couldn't fly planes.

The movie even shows old government papers that unfairly called African American men "cowards." It explains how these pilots faced segregation. Despite this, they proved themselves with an amazing record of success and courage.

The Red Tail Project's Mission

The film also explains how the Red Tail Project started and grew. It shows how the team kept their passion alive even after their leader, Don Hinz, died in a plane crash. This crash happened while he was flying a plane to honor the Tuskegee Airmen. The film also explains where the plane came from and all the hard work that went into restoring it for the Red Tail Project.

Making the Film: History and Production

Tuskegee Airmen

Images of the restored World War II P-51 Mustang, named Tuskegee Airmen, that is described in the film.

Adam White, the filmmaker from Cleveland, interviewed 13 of the Tuskegee Airmen for the movie. Several of these veterans were from the northeast Ohio area. One of the veterans was Colonel Charles McGee. He served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. White said that Colonel McGee had more combat flight hours than any other American pilot.

The film was shot in Billings, Montana. It was made to help raise awareness and money for The Red Tail Project. White's production company, Hemlock Films, produced the movie. The Parker Hannifin Corporation helped fund the film.

Inspiration for the Film

White was inspired to make Red Tail Reborn while filming another movie called The Restorers. During that project, a P-51C Mustang plane landed for refueling. White met Doug Rozendaal, who was the pilot of the Red Tail Project's Tuskegee Airmen plane.

When White heard that Don Hinz had died in a crash involving that same plane, he felt he had to tell its story. Once he started the project, a local PBS station agreed to air the film. This was a big step in making the project a success. While researching, White noticed there wasn't much information about the Tuskegee Airmen. He felt it was important to fill that gap with his film.

Film Airings and DVD Release

The film first showed at the MAPS Air Museum in Green, Ohio, on February 10, 2007. It then aired on Western Reserve Public Media, a PBS network, the next day. These stations re-aired the show several more times that month.

The film debuted in western Ohio at Wright State University on March 22, 2007. At that time, a two-disc DVD version was made available. It was released to the public on DVD on March 23, 2007. The film began airing nationally on PBS during Black History Month in February 2008. It reached over 300 stations across the country. PBS also aired the film later in 2008 during its November Veterans Day programming.

The DVD set includes a second disc with four hours of extra content. This includes more interviews, scenes that were cut from the film, and production photos.

Film's Impact and Awards

P-51 Mustang in a heritage flight over Langley Air Force Base

In 2008, Red Tail Reborn won three regional Emmy Awards. These awards were from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The film won for:

• Best Informational/Instructional Program
• Best Music Composition/Arrangement
• Best Research

The film was nominated for six Emmys in total. Red Tail Reborn followed the success of White's 2004 film, The Restorers. That film was about restoring different old military and vintage planes and also won a regional Emmy. While The Restorers focused on general plane restoration, Red Tail Reborn dives deeper into the story of one specific plane and the Red Tail Project.

Even though Red Tail Reborn wasn't shown in movie theaters, its success on national TV led to a sequel in 2009. The sequel is called Flight of the Red Tail, also known as Red Tail Reborn 2. It's a 12-minute follow-up documentary and was released on DVD on November 27.