The Pink Jet

Before we can talk about a pink jet, we must first know a thing or two about the jet-that-would-be-pink.

The L-39 Albatross is a cost-effective, high-performance jet trainer that is also capable of performing ground attack missions. Today, it is still produced by Aero Vodochody in the Czech Republic and has been exported to countries across the world both as a trainer and a light attack aircraft. By the end of the 20th century, more than 2,800 L-39s had served with over 30 air forces. Their popularity led to a purely L-39 Jet Class being introduced at the Reno Air Races in 2002. (Wikipedia)

Several airshow performance teams use the L-39, including the Black Diamond Jet Team that operates five, plus the Patriots Jet Team operates six, and the Breitling Jet Team operates seven. 

This particular L-39, N368LA, was forged in 1979 in the former Czechoslovakia, while behind the Iron Curtain and served as a Russian fighter-pilot trainer. In the late 90s she made her way to the United States and has been under several private owners over the past three decades. While her engine, the heart and soul of this old girl, is strong, she was badly in need of a bit of a makeover.

That’s where Aerial Angels came in. This non-profit, helmed by Steve and Jamie Oakley, has orchestrated many to prepare this airplane for the most important mission of her storied life. This accomplishment is credited to a vast network of companies and pilots volunteering resources. 

In June of this year, I ferried her from Camarillo, Calif. to Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana. The keys were figuratively handed over to Dean Baldwin Painting, a civilian-operated business on the base with a behemoth painting facility big enough to fit two Boeing 737s and two 747s at the same time. Dean Baldwin’s CEO, Barbara Baldwin, had suffered her own personal family loss due to breast cancer, so with an opening in one of their smaller bays, she volunteered their incredible team to transform our Albatross into a beautiful swan.

Aerial Angels is proud to introduce to the world The Pink Jet, whose primary mission is to raise awareness of breast cancer detection and treatment. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October, and we must be reminded that breast cancer can strike anyone at any age. The Pink Jet’s role is to keep the conversation going about this disease spanning 365 days a year—far beyond these 31 days in fall.

The Pink Jet made its inaugural public unveiling before an enthusiastic crowd at EAA AirVenture 2024. There, and at every airshow since, we have had hundreds of conversations with survivors of the disease, loved ones of victims lost, and those who are actively battling this disease.

We encourage everyone to visit The Pink Jet booth where all are invited to share their stories which we post on Instagram
@thepinkjet. Because everyone’s story is unique while also hauntingly familiar, we appreciate all who share with us. A common phrase we hear is “early detection,” meaning women (and men) should be tested well before the insurance companies are required to pay for testing, typically after age 40. Using age 40 as the benchmark for covered testing means thousands of people are not learning that they have developed breast cancer until after they turn 40.

It cannot be emphasized enough that this disease affects people of all ages. This year, at the Miramar Airshow, we met a young Marine MP who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 18. As a result of his diagnosis, this young man had a double mastectomy before his 20th birthday. Yes, this survivor is a man. Few realize that this disease does not discriminate by age, nor gender.

It has been only three months since the birth of The Pink Jet, and already the momentum of its primary mission has been dizzying, while the secondary mission has taken on a life of its own. Our first female Pink Jet pilot and influencer, Stephanie Goetz, is a beacon of inspiration to girls everywhere we go. The Pink Jet, along with our lady pilot in pink, aspire to inspire and empower young girls to dream big and achieve all they dream.

As the 2024 airshow season draws to a close, Aerial Angels and its volunteers will be busy this winter building the 2025 airshow schedule, upgrading the avionics to a glass cockpit, and recruiting additional female airshow pilots.  We are growing the team to showcase The Pink Jet, keep the breast-cancer conversation going, and inspire the role models in us all.

To learn more about The Pink Jet, see its tour schedule, buy Pink Jet merchandise, and to donate to the cause, please visit http://thepinkjet.org/ and follow @thepinkjet on Instagram.