Dear NWOC,

I want to say thank you for selecting me among the many nominees who were submitted. It is an honor to be among some of the most prestigious young individuals making an impact in the world of warbirds and aviation preservation. I wish to write a few paragraphs about myself to be published per your request.

My name is Katrina Hodges, my passion and inspiration for aviation began many years ago when I was growing up with my dad. He was a Weapons Director on AWACS in the Gulf War and Desert Storm. I remember him giving me tours of the E-3 Sentry as a little girl during the Aerospace America Air shows at Will Rogers World Airport in OKC. I remember getting up in a Stearman and telling my dad we needed one instead of taking the family car next time. Those are some of my earlier memories when my fascination began.

Into my teenage years my goal was to become a Military Aviator. So I participated in AFJROTC and graduated as a Cadet Officer as well as fill in for our Aerospace instructor. I taught and managed the local Aero Club. Where I taught kids how to build model rockets, fly drones, RC airplanes and build models. I also coordinated Young Eagles flights for the class which were held at Max Westheimer and Wiley Post Airport. We also took a trip to see the A-26 “Lady Liberty” In Enid Oklahoma, which would be my first introduction to the Douglas A-26 Invader.

As an adult, I ran into some obstacles facing my aviation prospects, with a T1D Diagnosis. But this wasn’t the end, my pursuit for aviation just started, nothing was stopping me. I decided to stay in aviation and became a volunteer at the Museum of Flight at Wiley Post Airport. Since then, I have evolved from wiping down and cleaning oily B-25’s and slicks on the floor to turning wrenches on TBM Avengers and SIAI S.211 Marchetti’s. With the knowledge I learned from maintaining and doing restoration work at the museum, I took on restoring a 1938 J-3 Cub and continued working with warbirds. This path led me to the Collings Foundation working on the B24 and B17. All of this eventually led me to becoming a crew member on a spectacular A-26 Invader that I now call home. I assist in operating an A26 invader with my Fiancé as a team effort to preserve history. In the midst of all of this, with the help of my fiancé’s support. I also began taking the steps to become a private pilot and have made significant progress with this dream, I am near the finish line for my Certificate and will continue to pursue my ratings and hopefully achieve an A26 Invader type rating.

With all the amazing warbirds I have been involved with I decided it was time to spearhead another project. My current project is the restoration of a very rare cockpit that came from the Walter Soplata collection. Display of a Handley Page Victor B.2(K.2) XL191 Named “Zealous Zoey”. I completed the harrowing task of relocating the nose section to my restoration facility at Ford Airport. I look forward to completing this zealous project to allow people to see a rare and fascinating piece from the cold war era. I hope this contribution to the community can be enjoyed by everyone who loves aviation.

I hope to preserve history and inspire others to pursue their dreams no matter how hard it may seem.
Sincerely,

Katrina H. Hodges