Living Legends of Aviation

Living Legends of Aviation
Formation December 17, 2003
Founder Jerry Lips
Type 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Purpose Recognition of Aviation Achievements
Membership
c. 91
Executive Director
Stacey Elsner (2008)
Parent organization
Kiddie Hawk Air Academy
Website livinglegendsofaviation.org

The Living Legends of Aviation is an award honoring achievements in the aviation industry, bestowed by the 91 current title holders, owned and produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a non-profit 501(c)(3).[1] The Living Legends have all made significant contributions to many areas of aviation including: innovators, record breakers, astronauts, aviation entrepreneurs, industry leaders and celebrity pilots.

The 13th Living Legends of Aviation Awards, honoring the best in aviation for 2015, was presented on January 22, 2016, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, where they have been held annually since 2007.

History

Jerry Lips, publisher of Airport Journals, came up with the idea of the Living Legends of Aviation at the time of the death of Michael Chowdry (founder of Atlas Air).[2] Airport Journals had been collecting and publishing biographies of various aviation personalities and Jerry regretted not having captured Mr Chowdry's history. He began to compile a list of individuals that had made major contributions in the field of aviation, and had those people suggest more names until a list of 70 names was collected. These were the biographies that needed to be recorded while those folks were still "living". The list has grown over the years to its present number of 91. As Legends pass on, they are replaced by new inductees, selected by their fellow Legends.

Jerry Lips founded the Living Legends of Aviation organization with the charter of celebrating the second century of aviation. In 2008, Kiddie Hawk Air Academy acquired the Living Legends of Aviation and the responsibility for the annual awards show.

Current Living Legends of Aviation

[3]

Past Living Legends of Aviation

Living Legends of Aviation Awards event

Beginning in 2003, an awards show has been organized each year to bring together the Living Legends members for a variety of events. The awards are presented at a live ceremony, most commonly in mid January following the relevant calendar year. This is an elaborate extravaganza, with the invited guests walking up the red carpet to enter the event.

Venues

In 2003, the first Living Legends of Aviation Awards were presented at a banquet dinner hosted by Airport Journals at the Centennial Airport. To avoid any weather related issues, in 2006 the venue was moved to Southern California and held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel. Since 2007 the Awards have been presented at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.[4]

List of winners

[5]

Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award
Year Winner
2003 Charles Gates
2004 Clay Lacy
2005 Steven Udvar-Hazy
2006 Al Ueltschi
2007 James D. Raisbeck
2008 Sir Richard Branson
2009 Joe Clark
2010 Delford Smith
2011 J Robert Duncan
2012 David Neeleman
2013 Frederick Smith
2014 Herb Kelleher
Aviation Industry Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Year Winner
2003 Rick Adam
2004 Joe Clark
2005 Vern Raburn
2006 Dale & Alan Klapmeier
2007 HH Sheik Al Maktoum
2008 Linden Blue
2009 Elon Musk
2010 Lynn Tilton
2011 Eren Ozmen & Fatih Ozmen
2012 John Uczekaj
2015 Thomas Flohr
Bob Hoover Freedom of Flight Award
Year Winner
2006 Bob Hoover
2007 Forrest Bird & George McGovern
2008 Emily Howell Warner & Zoe Dell Nutter
2009 Kermit Weeks
2010 Doolittle Raiders & Sam Johnson
2011 Burt Rutan
2012 Neil Armstrong & Eugene Cernan
2013 Patrick Brady
Official Ambassador of Aviation Award
Year Winner
2007 John Travolta
Aviation Industry Leader of the Year Award
Year Winner
2007 Pete Bunce
2008 Ed Bolen
2009 Preston Henne
2010 Mark Van Tine
2014 Michimasa Fujino
Legends Aviation Inventor Award
Year Winner
2008 Si Robin
Harrison Ford Aviation Legacy Award
Year Winner
2008 Harrison Ford
2009 Jeffrey Puckett
2010 Pat Epps
2011 Richard Sugden
2012 Greg Anderson
2013 Marilyn Richwine & Rhonda Fullerton
2014 Mark Baker
2015 Scott Terry
Heritage Patriot Award
Year Winner
2008 William Anders
Legends Top Flyer Award
Year Winner
2008 Paul "Max" Moga
Aviation Mentor Award
Year Winner
2009 Kurt Russell
Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award
Year Winner
2009 Tom Cruise
2010 Sean Tucker
2011 Morgan Freeman
2012 David Ellison
2014 Angelina Jolie
2015 Miles O'Brien
Out–Of-This-World Landing & Takeoff Award
Year Winner
2009 Buzz Aldrin
Cool Captain Award
Year Winner
2010 James Lovell
Lifetime Aviation Engineering Award
Year Winner
2010 Frank Robinson
Aircraft of Legend Award
Year Winner
2011 Boeing 787 Dreamteam
Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award
Year Winner
2012 Roy Morgan
2013 Jack Erickson
2014 Elling Halvorson
2015 William "Bill" Chiles
Lifetime Aviation Industry Leader Award
Year Winner
2012 James Albaugh
2013 Bruce Whitman
2015 Ray Conner
Doolittle Raiders Special Induction Award
Year Winner
2015 Dick Cole & David Thatcher[6]
Kiddie Hawk Children's Award
Year Winner
2015 Col. Gail Halvorsen

See also

References

External links

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