“We’re unique, so let’s not imitate. Imitation lets you catch up to the guy ahead, but never lets you pass.”
-Robert Prescott
Robert William “Bob” Prescott was born in Fort Worth, TX on May 5, 1913. After high school he relocated to Los Angeles, California. While attending Loyola Law School, he visited the naval flying school in nearby Long Beach and the aviation bug took hold.
Prescott quit law school and enlisted to become a Navy pilot in 1939. By 1940 he was stationed in Pensacola at the Navy flying school where he met his soon-to-be life-long friend, Dick Rossi. By September 1941, he resigned his Navy commission to join the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in China under Claire Chennault.
Robert Prescott was an Ace Pilot in the AVG Flying Tigers unit and credited with 5.5 or 6 kills. When the unit was disbanded in 1942, Bob decided to head back to his hometown in Texas where he was interviewed by Fort Worth Press journalist, Helen Ruth Verheyden. Between 1943 and 1944, Bob worked for a short time for TWA as a pilot; he then returned to China as a captain for the CNAC (China National Airways Corporation) and made over 300 supply flights over “the Hump”. He returned state-side in 1944 and married Helen Ruth.
By 1945, Bob was back in California, met with a group of businessmen and convinced 9 of his fellow AVG buddies (William Bartling, Clifford Groh, C. H. “Link” Laughlin, Thomas Haywood, Robert Hedman, Ernest “Bus” Loane, Robert J. “Catfish” Raine, Joseph Rosbert and Richard Rossi) to jump on the bandwagon to raise funds to start his own cargo airline. By June 25, 1945, the dream came true and National Skyway Freight Corporation was established. Prescott purchased 14 Budd Conestoga surplus aircraft from the Navy, immediately sold 6 of them for a profit to help fund his new airline, and the first flight took place in July!
There were a lot of trials and tribulations in those early days, but Robert Prescott was a visionary and created a new industry as an all-cargo airline. The name was changed to the Flying Tiger Line by 1947 and cargo shipments included fruits and vegetables, furniture, garments, machinery, fresh flowers, live animals, and the list goes on. The company motto was “We’ll fly Anything, Anytime, Anywhere” and by accident ended up in the charter passenger business, which was to become a mainstay of the airline.
Robert Prescott was a decorated war hero receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and Presidential Unit Citation awards. Bob and Helen Ruth had 3 children together, daughters French and Kirchy, and son Peter who was tragically killed at the age of 11 in an airplane accident (1965). Bob married his second wife, Anne Marie (nee Bennstrom) in 1962. Bob died of cancer on March 3, 1978 at the age of 64.