David E. Harris, First Black Commercial Airline Pilot, Dead at 89
David E. Harris, the pioneering first Black pilot to fly a commercial plane for a major U.S. airline and the first Black man to attain the rank of Pilot Captain, has died at the age of 89. American Airlines confirmed his passing on Saturday without disclosing the cause or location of his death. Harris, born on December 22, 1934, in Columbus, Ohio, faced racial discrimination during his education at Ohio State University but overcame obstacles to become a trailblazer in aviation.
Harris enlisted in the Air Force in 1958 and served as a pilot for B-17 and B-52 bomber jets before making history in 1964 by becoming the first Black commercial airline pilot hired by American Airlines. His remarkable career spanned 30 years with the airline giant until his retirement in 1997
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