Spring Show 2024 - Spotlight

This year while admiring the Junior category, I met the guardian of Sora Tanak. Sora had 6 placing models this year and two in first place, and his guardian shared his remarkable story with me. I would like to share it with you.

- John (website coordinator)

Sora Tanaka

"Sora Tanaka (his given name means "Sky" in Japanese) is from Osaka and Hyogo prefecture in Japan, where he attended elementary school and summer school every year. When he was little, he would talk for hours on strategic details of Pacific War battles and the engineering and development of ships and warplanes that became legends. Living only a mile or so from Boeing he was plane spotting constantly, even in the outfield of his little league games! He became a frequent visitor to the area's many museums and exhibits asking so many questions he often left staff, mechanics and even Professors speechless. "Who WAS that kid?" they would often ask.

"After joining the Civil Air Patrol, Paine Squadron, at age 13 he dreamed of starting his orientation flights. He volunteered for air shows, ceremonies and camps wondering where best to pursue his dreams of flight. He also amassed a sizable collection (limiting his closet space and wardrobe!) of rare scale models from Japan.

"And then in September of 2023 he started his Freshman year at Kamiak High School at age 14. That month, news broke that a fellow Kamiak student was shot and killed waiting at the bus stop. Such an incident would be unthinkable in Japan, and a dark cloud seemed to hang over the community of Mukilteo, Washington. I was pretty troubled by this and called my friend Shinji Maeda, Certified Flight Instructor thr earth-rounder aviation legend. His response was quick, short and decisive: "Let's fly!" That day a dream came true as Sora flew over his house and Kamiak High School in and seemed to somehow overcome the tragedy that just occurred. Its not an easy for a young man to chart his future, but Japan should be proud to have its native son dream so big and fly so high. He is among the youngest Japanese ever to show such interest in aviation in Seattle and surely has a bright future.

"Sora will support Shinji Maeda on his 2025 Friendship Flight to
Japan to celebrate 80 years of peace."

David Bowes
(Aerospace Materials Consultant)