Master Mechanic Bob Hays: Helping Keep Aviation History Airworthy

Bob Hays’s aviation journey began with flight lessons at a small airport in Phillipsburg, Kansas, in 1967. His curiosity soon extended beyond the cockpit to the maintenance that makes flight possible. After serving in the Kansas Army National Guard, he completed aircraft maintenance training and earned his FAA mechanic certificate in 1975.

His career included positions with Air Midwest Airlines, Cessna Aircraft Company, Ameriflight, and Yingling Aviation. At Yingling, Hays earned Inspection Authorization in 2010 and served as quality assurance manager until retiring in 2017. He also became involved with the B-29 Doc program, contributing his experience as an inspector and volunteer mechanic.

On November 21, 2023, Hays received both the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award and the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award at the B-29 Doc Hangar, Education and Visitors Center. Doc’s maintenance leadership credited his knowledge and attention to detail with providing valuable oversight of the aircraft’s maintenance. Source: B-29 Doc
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PAMA celebrates Hays’s dedication to aviation maintenance and historic aircraft preservation. His story demonstrates how the experience accumulated over a working lifetime can continue serving aviation long after retirement, helping another generation encounter history in flight.