Restored plane honors pioneer pilot | News

Hired by Frontier in 1973, Ashby was one of the first African Americans to work as a pilot for a major commercial airline.

Participants at the luncheon, which featured U.S. Army veteran Dr. Sheila Chamberlain as guest speaker, included Frontier Airlines employees, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, and the Atlanta Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.

Two Airbase Georgia members, U.S. Air Force retirees Maj. Gen. George Harrison and Capt.Tom Thompson, flew the plane to Hartsfield-Jackson for the event. Thompson was crew chief for the two-year restoration process.

The Commemorative Air Force Airbase Georgia originally acquired the PT-19A in 2006. It flew throughout the Southeast at airshows and fly-ins, offering rides to the public, until it was brought back to the shop for restoration, which began in 2022.

This was the first mission for the recently restored PT-19A.

Airbase Georgia research revealed that the aircraft originally was assigned to Moton Field, Alabama, in November 1943, where Tuskegee Airmen used it for initial flight training. New livery reflects this historic part of the aircraft’s history.