Celebrating greatness among us

With his enduring commitment to aviation, he helped secure the passage of the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act. He also conceived the Citation Special Olympics Airlift in 1986, transporting thousands of athletes to the National Special Olympics since. Meyer was president and CEO of Grumman American Aviation Corp. and the CEO and chairman emeritus of Cessna Aircraft. He played a significant role in creating the original Cessna Citation, as well as Cessna’s Be A Pilot program.

Starting out as a jet pilot with the U.S Air Force, Meyer is a commercial, instrument-rated pilot with more than 17,000 hours of flight time. He’s type rated in all models of the Cessna Citation. He said he was pleased to receive this particular award because he was friends with Hoover for 56 years after the men met in 1968 at an airshow in Redding, California. Meyer added, “I have a lot of respect for Hoover, who defended our country and spent over 30 years encouraging people to fly.”

At the occasion, the former AOPA Air Safety Institute General Aviation Safety Award and newly named Richard G. McSpadden General Aviation Safety Award was presented to John and Martha King for delivering high-quality instructional learning materials to over a million pilots in various stages of training. For 50 years, the Kings have made flight training accessible and safer. After accepting the award from AOPA President Mark Baker, the Kings emphasized their gratitude to AOPA in general and to the late McSpadden in particular for fostering aviation safety. They also remarked that this award kicked off their fiftieth anniversary tour and added that they felt privileged to be the first to receive this honor.

Theresa Claiborne, the first African American female pilot for the U.S. Air Force, was honored with the Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Aviation Inspiration Award at the event. After her time in the Air Force, she flew for United Airlines. She’s the president of a nonprofit organization called Sisters of the Skies, which introduces aviation to women of color. In her acceptance speech, she noted that “it wasn’t easy,” and that to this day there were people who would see a Black person on the flight deck of the aircraft and would refuse to board. She said, “We are all qualified and able to fly that airplane!”

Other awards bestowed during this special celebration were the Hartranft Award and the Sharples Award.

The Hartranft Award is named after AOPA’s first president, “Doc” Hartranft, and given to elected or appointed government officials for significant contributions to GA. The latest recipient was former Rep. Peter DeFazio (D.-Ore.) in 2023 for his relentless advocation of GA, serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This year’s award goes to Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), who is a two-time honoree. Graves currently serves as the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. His bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill passed the House with over 350 votes. He works tirelessly to ensure that GA continues to thrive for decades to come. Accepting the award from Baker, Graves said, “I am honored and humbled to receive this award for something I love to do, advocating on behalf of the passion we all share.”

The Sharples Award, named for AOPA’s first chairman of the board, Laurence P. Sharples, is given to individuals not directly working in aviation, but nonetheless contributing greatly to it. In 2023 it went to Mike Dale for his significant involvement in growing Virginia’s Culpeper Regional Airport. The recipient of this year’s award is John Dobson, president of the Washington State Aviation Alliance, where he’s fiercely advocating for GA and airport funding. Holding his award, he said, “This is not about me. It’s about everyone who helps the Alliance.”

Another award, the AOPA Foundation Future of Flight Award created by the AOPA Foundation and the You Can Fly program it funds, acknowledges outstanding dedication to strengthening aviation in all its forms and this year recognized Lessing Stern, a longtime supporter of AOPA’s safety programs and one of the earliest advocates for You Can Fly. The You Can Fly program is not funded by AOPA membership dues, but by donors like Stern.

The Hoover Award, a trophy that was first given to Hoover himself in 2016, is one of the most honored recognitions in aviation and according to a statement on AOPA’s website a “tribute to aviators whose airmanship, leadership, mentorship, and passion for aviation inspire a love of flight in others.” The celebration took place on March 20 at the Reagan National Historic Terminal 1 Lobby at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Previous Hoover Award recipients include Sean D. Tucker, Harrison Ford, Clay Lacy, Burt Rutan, Wally Funk, and Sen. James M. Inhofe.