Donating the Kaydet to the Museum

2011

The PT-13D Kaydet made its final flight to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Air Force Captain Matt Quay purchased the Kaydet without knowing its historic importance. When he discovered the Kaydet was used to train Tuskegee Airmen, he spent three years restoring the plane. He then flew it to different air shows to share it with surviving Tuskegee pilots.

When curators at the National Museum of African American History and Culture learned about the Kaydet, they visited Captain Quay and he agreed to donate it to the museum. Captain Quay then flew the plane from California to Washington, D.C.

In this video Captain Quay and several Tuskegee Airmen share their military experiences.