Youngstown Air Reserve Drafts Boxing Champ Kelly Pavlik

The 910th Airlift Wing will unveil a C-130H Hercules cargo transport aircraft honoring Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, Youngstown’s world champion boxer.

The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for today, Tuesday, August 4 at 1 P.M. in Hangar 302. 910th Airlift Wing commander Col. Karl McGregor, Kelly Pavlik, members of Team Pavlik and members of the base community are expected to attend the ceremony.

The ceremony is one of the events being held in preparation for “Thunder Over The Valley,” the 2009 YARS Air Show and Open House, being held this weekend, August 8-9, here.

The “nose art” painted on the aircraft reads “Kelly ‘The Ghost’ Pavlik – the Pride of Youngstown” and also will feature the boxer’s “ghost with boxing gloves” artwork. The “nose art” was painted by Senior Airman Michele Kennedy, a crew chief assigned here. Airman Kennedy will be at the unveiling ceremony.

The project was launched when members of the aircraft’s crew contacted the boxer’s camp with the idea to honor Pavlik with the artwork. The aircraft, tail number 041 is one of 12 C-130H aircraft assigned to YARS and will be on display at this weekend’s air show.

The history of painting “nose art” on aircraft is a morale-boosting tradition that dates back to the early days of aviation. Tail 041 is the first aircraft currently assigned to YARS20to feature “nose art,” although the crews of the 11 other aircraft assigned here hope to continue this new YARS tradition by enhancing their aircraft with artwork.