The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) announced that Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert “Bob” Ashby a longtime OBAP member and champion had flown west on March 5, 2021. He was 95 years old. His obituary said Ashby was enamored with airplanes at a young age and enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1944 rather than waiting to be drafted. He tested into the Tuskegee Institute for flight training. After World War II, he also flew bombers during the Korean conflict.
Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals Honors the Passing of Robert Ashby
Key Takeaways:
- Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert "Bob" Ashby, a Tuskegee Airman and long-time OBAP member, passed away on March 5, 2021, at the age of 95.
- He is recognized by the Smithsonian Institute as the only Tuskegee Airman to become a pilot for a commercial airline, navigating significant political and societal obstacles.
- Ashby made history as Frontier Airlines' first Black pilot in 1973 and became the first African American to reach retirement age as a commercial airline captain in 1986.
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