GREEN: The A4 Skyhawk was already on the MAPS Air Museum’s bucket list, so when it showed up on the inventory of an Illinois air museum that was closing, MAPS moved quickly to claim it. The intent was always to paint it to reflect its most famed role on the U.S. Navy Blue Angels precision flying squad. But museum volunteers have always tried to connect their historic fleet of 45 planes to local aviators, and when they turned their focus on the Skyhawk, they quickly discovered the tale of Stuart Powrie. At a special veterans dinner on Saturday, MAPS unveiled the renovated plane that now bears Powrie’s name under the cockpit for reasons both sad and inspiring. Powrie — who graduated from Akron’s Firestone High School in 1966 with classmate and future astronaut Judith Resnik — was a member of the Blue Angels whose rising star fell on Feb. 22, 1982, when his Skyhawk crashed in a California desert during practice. His sister, Cynthia Tyson, still lives in West Akron. And while the memories bring back a sense of loss, the museum’s efforts have also picked up the spirits of an entire family still very proud of their fearless hero. [...]