Flagship Valor: American Airlines Debuts Flying Tribute to Medal of Honor Recipients

Last week on National Medal of Honor Day, American Airlines debuted a new livery dedicated to recipients of the Medal of Honor. Flagship Valor — an Airbus A321 aircraft with a special wrap — is a flying tribute dedicated to recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest award for military valor in action.

The aircraft depicts major military conflicts and the six characteristics that embody the Medal of Honor and those who have received it. On board, customers can scan QR codes for access to information about the Medal of Honor and its extraordinary recipients, serving as a teaching tool to pass on these remarkable stories for generations to come. Its first official mission was to transport Medal of Honor recipients on an honor flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Washington D.C. (DCA) late last week.

Flagship Valor was unveiled Thursday evening ahead of the groundbreaking of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas. Expected to open in 2024, the new museum will create a permanent home for the incredible stories of our nation’s greatest heroes.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.