Frontiers of Flight Museum’s new series honors a Dallas icon

DALLAS (KDAF) — The Frontiers of Flight Museum announced the inaugural Caroline Rose Hunt Lecture Series, taking place on Wednesday, October 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. This landmark event promises an evening of aviation excellence, inspiration, and legacy, featuring a keynote address by Lt. Col. Justin “Astro” Elliott, the former Commander and Lead Pilot of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and a prominent figure in the acclaimed Netflix documentary Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds.

The lecture series is named in honor of Caroline Rose Hunt, a Dallas icon, philanthropist, and founder of the boutique charter airline Pumpkin Air, known for its eye-catching, orange-colored planes and helicopters in the 1980s. Laurie Sands Harrison, her daughter, will share a personal tribute with guests during the event, telling the story of Pumpkin Air and honoring her mother’s enduring entrepreneurial spirit.

Other participants include Frontiers of Flight Museum’s President and CEO, Abigail Erickson-Torres, Admiral Patrick Walsh (Ret.), and Lt. Col. Justin “Astro” Elliott. In his keynote, Elliott will also provide behind-the-scenes insights from Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds, the Netflix documentary directed by Matt Wilcox, which explores not only the jaw-dropping aerial maneuvers of the Thunderbirds but the human stories and trust required to make them possible.

The Caroline Rose Hunt Lecture Series is not just a tribute to aviation history but a call to aspire. Through personal stories from Elliott and Admiral Walsh, each of whom served as lead pilots in the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, respectively, guests will gain a rare, firsthand look at the leadership, sacrifice, and heart behind two of America’s most storied military flight demonstration teams.

Tickets are $45 and available at the Museum’s website. To learn more about the museum, visit flightmuseum.com.