The first Black aviator licensed to fly in Arkansas is among three pilots who will be inducted into the 2023 class of the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame. The inductees are Pickens Black Jr., Bob Blankenship and Matthew Younkin.
The Arkansas Aviation Historical Society will honor the new members for their contributions to aviation and aerospace history in Arkansas at 6 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.
Black fought racial discrimination on his path to becoming a pilot in Arkansas. He once built his own plane, but the government did not allow him to fly it. His perseverance paid off in 1933 when he became the first Black Arkansan to receive his private pilot license.
He went on to own a passenger plane and two crop dusters. The Virginia Union University graduate built and repaired planes at a hanger he owned near his home in Blackville in Jackson County. He died there in 1980 at 74 in the same house where he was born.
Blankenship grew up on his family’s farm in Lincoln County and gained fame as a pilot in air shows. He was known for his “Granny” act, in which he landed his J-3 Cub on the back of a pickup truck speeding down the runway. He also performed aerobatics in a modified Stearman he called “Ol’ Red.”
He spent several years crop dusting before working for Southwest Airlines until his retirement. During his career, he accumulated more than 40,000 flying hours and acquired numerous type ratings.
Younkin is a third-generation Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame inductee. He could fly by age 14 and soloed on his 16th birthday in his grandfather’s 1928 Travel Air 4000 biplane.
A resident of Siloam Springs, he owns Younkin Airshows and is considered a top showman in the air show circuit. Flying a Beech 18, he is known for creating the world’s only night aerobatic display. He uses lights, smoke, choreography and a musical score to produce the Twin Beech Night Spectacular.
In addition to managing the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society provides college scholarships to encourage young people to pursue careers in aviation. More information is available at arkavhs.com.
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