The Hallelujah Flight is based on a true story of ace pilot James Banning and his mechanic/co-pilot, Thomas Allen.  In 1932, towards the end of the Great Depression, African-American James Banning had a dream to fly across the United States.  He and his friend Thomas Allen fixed up an old bi-plane, much to the amusement of the airport crew.  The rickety plane began its wild, sometimes erratic, flight across California.  To help pay for food and repairs as they traveled, Banning and Allen relied on the generosity of strangers.  Each time they landed, they called out, “Hallelujah!”  Other than the trials of unreliable weather and repairs, one of the worst dangers they meet was prejudice.  After 22 days, they landed as heroes in New York.  The world read about them as the Flying Hobos, but they called their adventure the “Hallelujah Flight”.  John Holyfield’s expressive acrylic on canvas paintings reflect both the joy and dangers of the transcontinental flight.  A map on the endpages mark their journey from California to New York.