Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award

[donkaye]

Time has a way of slipping by almost unnoticed---until it is.  Yesterday I had the honor of participating in a Wright Brothers Master Pilot awards presentation.  There were 3 of us getting the award.  One of the requirements is having flown for 50 years. The time starts from the first solo flight.  Not surprising all of us had first soloed in 1967.  As I listened to the accomplishments of the other 2 participants given by Karen Arendt, the FAAST Team manager at the San Jose FISDO, I marveled at how unpretentious both were in our pre award conversations.  You can do a lot in 50 years, as was demonstrated by these two individuals.

Karen first showed a movie detailing the Wright Brothers step by step achievement towards attaining powered flight.  Then she detailed the histories of each pilot with input from each as she went along.  Photos from each of us went a long way in guiding those biographies.

I remember Karen talking to me about receiving the "Blue Ribbon Package" which determines one's eligibility.  That package was given to each of us and contained every document the FAA has ever had on us.  Once home I reviewed it, and a lot of memories were brought back.  It contained the results of every knowledge test, every flight test ever taken, every medical, and every renewal of the flight instructor certificate.  Needless to say after 50 years it is pretty thick.  And just think,  the FAA has this record on each and every pilot in the United States.

We were given a beautiful plaque,  a letter acknowledging 50 years of our lifetime in aviation, and lapel pins for us and our spouses.

The celebration finished wth distribution of pieces of cake that Karen brought and is shown below.  All in all quite a day.

[kortopates]

Awesome Don - a big congratulations to you! 50 years of flying is indeed a lot of history - well deserved award!


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[Mooneymite]

Congratulations!  Well done.

[gsxrpilot]

Well done! A very significant achievement.

[RLCarter]

How awesome, congrats on the 50 years

[thinwing]

And that is 50 years without an FAA incident or blemish (or at least one they know about)congrats Don

[DonMuncy]

Congratulations Don. Well deserved.

[carusoam]

Congratulations, and...

Keep up the GOOD work Don!

50 years of excellence!

Best regards,

-a-

[SkyTrekker]

Congrats, Don  

[bonal]

A few years ago they had a master pilot award ceremony at my home field that I attended for two pilots based at Lampson with all of the history you mentioned I was very impressed with both the history and the presentation and the two gentlemen being honored. Congratulations Don a most impressive recognition. 

[StevenL757]

Agree.  Congratulations Don.  A lot of hard work and dedication.

Steve

[Bob_Belville]

Congratulations Don! 

(I soloed 6/25/1969 but I did not fly for about 20 years. I mean to check out the Wright Brothers fine print before the anniversary rolls around a year from now.)

[steingar]

Congrats.  I'll never aspire to such a thing unless I live and keep flying until I'm 90.

[Oldguy]

Congratulations, Don, and thank you for sharing much of that time with those of us flying Mooneys.

[cliffy]

It's quite a presentation and the FAA file is thick on us. 

I received the award a few years ago (solo'd in '62) and was impressed with the plaque and the wall certificate. Didn't think the FAA would sink that much money into a presentation. 

My fist flight instructor not only held the Wright Bros. Award but also qualified for the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. Out of all the Master Pilot Awards only a handful also qualify for the Mechanic Award. I got my A&P in 1967 but may be a few years short of the 50 for the Mechanic Award as flying got in the way. 

Nice to have you join us Don.

[Mooney in Oz]

21 hours ago, donkaye said:

Yesterday I had the honor of participating in a Wright Brothers Master Pilot awards presentation

Congratulations Don.  

I had the privilege of flying with you over 10 years ago and therefore can proudly say I was part of your 50 year legacy.

Thank you so much for your wisdom.

Your award is well deserved!  

[HXG]

Congrats! That’s a huge  honor. 

[cliffy]

Log book submission is used for qualification.

[donkaye]

9 hours ago, Mooney in Oz said:

Congratulations Don.  

I had the privilege of flying with you over 10 years ago and therefore can proudly say I was part of your 50 year legacy.

Thank you so much for your wisdom.

Your award is well deserved!  

I can't  believe it's been over 10 years, but it has.  I really liked that trip To Australia!  What a time we had on the Down Under Tour!  I would like to get back there.

[Seth]

Very cool Don!  

-Seth

[aviatoreb]

On 6/17/2018 at 2:35 PM, donkaye said:

Time has a way of slipping by almost unnoticed---until it is.  Yesterday I had the honor of participating in a Wright Brothers Master Pilot awards presentation.  There were 3 of us getting the award.  One of the requirements is having flown for 50 years. The time starts from the first solo flight.  Not surprising all of us had first soloed in 1967.  As I listened to the accomplishments of the other 2 participants given by Karen Arendt, the FAAST Team manager at the San Jose FISDO, I marveled at how unpretentious both were in our pre award conversations.  You can do a lot in 50 years, as was demonstrated by these two individuals.

Karen first showed a movie detailing the Wright Brothers step by step achievement towards attaining powered flight.  Then she detailed the histories of each pilot with input from each as she went along.  Photos from each of us went a long way in guiding those biographies.

I remember Karen talking to me about receiving the "Blue Ribbon Package" which determines one's eligibility.  That package was given to each of us and contained every document the FAA has ever had on us.  Once home I reviewed it, and a lot of memories were brought back.  It contained the results of every knowledge test, every flight test ever taken, every medical, and every renewal of the flight instructor certificate.  Needless to say after 50 years it is pretty thick.  And just think,  the FAA has this record on each and every pilot in the United States.

We were given a beautiful plaque,  a letter acknowledging 50 years of our lifetime in aviation, and lapel pins for us and our spouses.

The celebration finished wth distribution of pieces of cake that Karen brought and is shown below.  All in all quite a day.

Congratulations Don!!!  Well deserved!!!

[MrRodgers]

Don,

I am so happy for you.  I too am honored to be a part of your aviation career as one of your most recent students. 

Boy, have I learned alot from you in our recent training experiences.  It's a pleasure to know you and I look forward to seeing you next month.

Best,

Michael Rodgers

[mike_elliott]

On 6/17/2018 at 2:35 PM, donkaye said:

Time has a way of slipping by almost unnoticed---until it is.  Yesterday I had the honor of participating in a Wright Brothers Master Pilot awards presentation.  There were 3 of us getting the award.  One of the requirements is having flown for 50 years. The time starts from the first solo flight.  Not surprising all of us had first soloed in 1967.  As I listened to the accomplishments of the other 2 participants given by Karen Arendt, the FAAST Team manager at the San Jose FISDO, I marveled at how unpretentious both were in our pre award conversations.  You can do a lot in 50 years, as was demonstrated by these two individuals.

Karen first showed a movie detailing the Wright Brothers step by step achievement towards attaining powered flight.  Then she detailed the histories of each pilot with input from each as she went along.  Photos from each of us went a long way in guiding those biographies.

I remember Karen talking to me about receiving the "Blue Ribbon Package" which determines one's eligibility.  That package was given to each of us and contained every document the FAA has ever had on us.  Once home I reviewed it, and a lot of memories were brought back.  It contained the results of every knowledge test, every flight test ever taken, every medical, and every renewal of the flight instructor certificate.  Needless to say after 50 years it is pretty thick.  And just think,  the FAA has this record on each and every pilot in the United States.

We were given a beautiful plaque,  a letter acknowledging 50 years of our lifetime in aviation, and lapel pins for us and our spouses.

The celebration finished wth distribution of pieces of cake that Karen brought and is shown below.  All in all quite a day.

Congrats Don. While I have written letters of recommendation for many to receive this award, I will not be able to ever earn it myself, unless I live to be very very old. It speaks volumes that you have been with this for so long.

 

[donkaye]

1 hour ago, mike_elliott said:

Congrats Don. While I have written letters of recommendation for many to receive this award, I will not be able to ever earn it myself, unless I live to be very very old. It speaks volumes that you have been with this for so long.

 

I started flying relatively early in life.  In my second job a year out of College, I went to work for Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics.  Everyone in my section had their pilot's license.  Additionally, one was an instructor.  That was it.  I had to get my license, too.  In addition to the Military work, they also were on the forefront of glass panels.  I got to work on one of the early digital displays.  They were REALLY primitive by today's standards.  Microprocessors hadn't even been dreamed of at the time; also, no flat screens.  The display was a CRT, but it showed most of the data that we have on a PFD today.  Obviously no color.  They even simulated moving clouds on the display.  They flew it in a 172, but nothing ever came of that research.  Interesting memories...

The 3 letters of recommendation required from people you knew over the 50 year period of time were relegated to those people you've known for the past 25 years.  Nobody is around for the 50 year time frame.  They'd be over 100 now.  Hard to believe...