Kenny Ashby first learned to fly while completing his medical internship.
When he had breaks from his medical training he would have a date with his wife sitting on the hospital roof watching the B-52 bombers take off and land at Travis Air Force Base in California. His first airplane purchase was a a
1947 Stinson Voyager in 1966 at a cost of $3,200. Over the years, the flying bug really took hold and he obtained IFR, multi-engine, and float ratings.
He became an accomplished bush pilot while living in Alaska and built his own landing strip in front of his cabin on the scenic Deshka River. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, so bush flying became a big part of his life. At various times he owned several aircraft including the Piper Super Cub, Beech Baron, Cessna 185, 206 and 210, Lake Amphibian, and Grumman Widgeon. In later years Kenny obtained his A&P so he could do the maintenance work on his fleet of aircraft. He has rebuilt several airplanes that he purchased from insurance companies from salvage after they had been declared "totaled" in crashes. Some of his more recent projects involved building experimental kit airplanes, including several Glasair and Glastar aircraft. Dr. Ashby has had a lifelong love affair with aviation, which he has passed down to his three sons. Even at age 79 he was still flying perhaps his favorite airplane of all, his Piper Super Cub, and landing at the rustic strip in front of his Alaska cabin. One of his favorite things to do is sit on the porch of the cabin with his sons, admiring the beauty of the Alaska wilderness and looking out at three Super Cubs sitting on the landing strip that he and his boys had flown in to the cabin to enjoy some time together.