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October 23, 2010 - On Wednesday, Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt, attended the National Business Aviation Association's annual meeting. There, he presented the FAA's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award to six outstanding legends of aviation: Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Bob Hoover, Clay Lacy, Russ Meyer, and Arnold Palmer. The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award recognizes pilots who have demonstrated professionalism, skill and aviation expertise in maintaining safe operations for 50 or more years. And it would be difficult to find six people more deserving of this honor. Neil Armstrong took his first flight lesson at age six, so it is no surprise that his storied career would lead him to the very limits of our imagination--the surface of the moon. Since becoming the first man to walk on the moon, he has mostly avoided public appearances, but it is worth noting that in recent years he has become a staunch advocate for NBAA's signature cause: business aviation. And, while he is a humble man, he represents one of humankind's most dramatic achievements. |
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Gene Cernan is another of the famed Gemini astronauts, and also went on to walk on the moon--the last man to do so. Perhaps more interesting was his 1966 two-hour spacewalk, during which his capsule completely orbited the Earth. He has been an outspoken safety advocate, traveling around the same globe he once orbited as the public face of Bombardier's Safety Standdown. Bob Hoover is known among pilots as one of our greatest aerobatics pilots. His air show performances in business airplanes like the Strike Commander and Sabreliner business jet have thrilled millions. He is famous in the aviation community for his ability to pour tea when rolling his plane, but he has also made tremendous contributions as both a test pilot and safety innovator. Despite his aerobatic exploits, his most remarkable achievement may have been his World War II escape from a P.O.W. camp--by stealing a plane and flying to safety. Clay Lacy is a pilot and the president of charter service Clay Lacy Aviation. He has also set air racing records and shot aerial photography for feature films including Top Gun and The Right Stuff. In 1988 he raised more than $500,000 for children's charities with an around the world flight. |
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