WAPAKONETA – The Armstrong Air & Space Museum will be hosting an online event titled “Life as an Airline Pilot” with American Airlines pilot and New Bremen native Justin D. Luedeke. The event, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m., will be broadcast through Facebook Live and will be free for the general public to watch.

Luedeke, a 2000 graduate of New Bremen High School, will delve into experiences and tales of becoming a modern-day aviator. Luedeke has often cited former Auglaize County resident Neil Armstrong as a powerful influence in his choice of career.

“Our museum has always stood to inspire the next generation,” said Experience Coordinator Greg Brown. “We wanted to highlight Mr. Luedeke’s story and show that with a little inspiration and enough perseverance, dreams really do become reality.”

After high school, Luedeke received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Aviation Management from the Ohio State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Luedeke has served as a pilot for American Airlines for the Airbus 320 series, International Division and has as an IOC Duty Chief Pilot, receiving more than 10,000 hours of flight time. The museum is not alone when highlighting this story. The event will be co-hosted by a number of local organizations including the Neil Armstrong Airport, the Auglaize County Historical Society, the New Bremen Historic Association, and the First on the Moon Committee.

“This talk will hopefully be the first of several presentations we host in the upcoming year,” said Armstrong Executive Director Dante Centuori. “With people unable to gather for informative talks like this, we wanted to make sure that local residents still have the opportunity to listen to stories like Mr. Luedeke’s.”

For more information on the event, visit the museum’s event page on Facebook or call the museum at 419-738-8811.