Here & Now Anytime 25 at 250: Lowriders and the flight suit that opened the skies for Black pilots
Apr 3, 2026
Anthea Hartig, director of the National Museum of American History, highlights the iconic Gypsy Rose lowrider and its cultural roots. Joseph Abel, curator at the National Air and Space Museum, tells Chauncey Spencer’s 1939 Goodwill flight and the plain flight suit that symbolized a fight for access to the skies. They explore lowriding’s art, cruising and policing, and aviation’s role in civil rights.
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Chauncey Spencer Taught Himself To Fly
- Chauncey Spencer taught himself to fly after seeing a barnstorming event and moved to Chicago for lessons when segregated Lynchburg offered no opportunities.
- Spencer became a daredevil parachutist and navigator who survived a botched jump and later co-piloted the 1939 Goodwill Flight to Washington, D.C.
Old Faithful Biplane Reached The Capitol
- Spencer and pilot Dale White flew a fragile Lincoln-Page biplane named Old Faithful with only an oil pressure gauge and airspeed monitor, claiming it was underpowered.
- Their risky 1939 flight reached the Capitol, where an unscheduled meeting with Senator Harry S. Truman spurred political attention.
A Grassroots Flight Shifted Aviation Policy
- The Goodwill Flight directly influenced policy by prompting Truman and Senator Dirksen to expand civilian pilot training access to Black aviators.
- This bottom-up action helped open pathways that eventually contributed to the formation of the Tuskegee Airmen.