Was One Of The First African-American Women To Earn A Pilot's License In The U.S.

One of the first African-American women to earn a pilot's license in the United States has flown West. Azellia White passed away at the age of 106 at a nursing home in Sugar Land, TX.

The Washington Post reports that White passed away September 14. Her death was confirmed by her great-niece, Emeldia Bailey, who said she did not know the exact cause of death.

Mrs. White was the daughter of a sharecropper and a midwife. Her husband, Hulon "Pappy" White, has been a mechanic during WWII in Tuskegee, AL for the Tuskegee Airmen. His involvement with aircraft led to her interest in aviation.

After the war, Azellia and Hulon returned to Texas, where they, along with two Tuskegee Airmen, founded the Sky Ranch Flying Service just outside Houston. The business focused on the African American community, giving flight instruction as well as providing charter and delivery services.

Mrs. White was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in 2018 at the age of 104. She was also the recipient of the Trailblazer Award from the Black Pilots of America for her "pioneering spirit in forging a path to the field of aviation."

(Image provided by the family)

FMI: Source report