Robert A Wright

Robert A Wright, dedicated friend of General Aviation, passed away on January 14, 2023, at his home in Bellingham, WA, with his wife Marcia at his side.

Bob started his love of aviation at the age of 15, when he rode his bicycle to the airport to be near planes. His high school nickname was Orville. He soloed at age 17 and bought his first plane with two other members of his collegiate flying club. He was a private plane owner for the rest of his life, owning 8 in total. He was awarded The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2016 for 50 years of incident-free flying and logged over 10,000 hours of private flying.

After serving as a Missile Launch Operator for the US Air Force and a brief stint at the GAO, Bob’s career moved to the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, DC. His dedication to General Aviation culminated with a senior executive position as Manager of the General Aviation and Commercial Division in the Flight Standards Service. There, he developed the General Aviation Action Plan and worked tirelessly for the GA community. He was recognized by the NASA-FAA Advanced GA Transport Experiments group AGATE Alliance Association for “Turning Goals into Reality” revitalization of the GA industry. He received the FAA award for development and implementation of FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS), the Flight Service Strategic Management Award, the NBAA Safety Committee Meritorious Service Award, the Founders Award from the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and a special citation from AOPA for inspirational leadership, integrity and unwavering commitment to excellence in public service.

Bob was called “Mr General Aviation” and “Mr Risk Management.” His claim to fame was upgrading standards and constantly striving to advance single pilot training and the safety of general aviation.

Dr. Paul Craig, Professor of Aerospace, Middle Tennessee State University, “To me, Bob is known as a pioneer. He had the courage to change (and fight) the FAA system – from within. He changed the course of pilot training. The phrase ‘paradigm shift’ is over-used, but Bob truly was a change maker!”

After retirement from the FAA, Bob joined Eclipse Aviation as the Director of Training, developing the training program for this new very light jet. He also served as consultant for other aviation manufacturers and training providers.

Bob was known for his “brilliant mind”, knowledge of history, prolific writing ability, love of facts and figures, detailed travel planning, pursuit of good food and fine wine, the quest for knowledge and the search for new places to fly. He always looked for restaurants with wild game and berry desserts, and friends often called from upscale restaurants to get his wine recommendations. Upon retirement, he and Marcia took long road trips in Europe where they sought out general aviation flying opportunities, including flying gliders in Switzerland and the Pyrenees and single engine planes in rural Romania, around Montserrat in Spain and other special locations. He authored two historical novels, Beyond Ultra and Valhalla Revealed, and was Grand Prize winner of the Chaucer award for historical fiction by Chanticleer Reviews.

Bob is survived by his wife Marcia Corey of Bellingham, WA, his brother William, niece Christina and nephew Michael of St Petersburg, FL, his godson and goddaughter Tristan and Emma Drolet Lloyd of Vancouver, BC, and many, many friends across the USA and Europe. He left a strong legacy and will be missed. Donations may be sent in his name to the Whatcom Hospice Foundation. “Our Party for Bob” will be held in May with good food, fine wine, the Aviation cocktail and fun stories to honor this wonderful man.