 DAHF Trustee Hugh Horning, founding and current DAHF President David Moffitt, AOPA President Phil Boyer |
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AOPA President Phil Boyer was a featured speaker Saturday night at the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame annual banquet. The Hall of Fame commemorates the First State's aviation greats and, since its founding in 2000, has inducted 20 men and women. Six new inductees and the recipient of the Youth Achievement Award were honored at the banquet.
Boyer was granted a special membership in the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame. He acknowledged the great honor of addressing such a special event during the 100th anniversary year of powered flight. Showing pictures of the exciting new avionics and aircraft now coming into the market, Boyer told the audience of some 300 aviation enthusiasts that the future for general aviation was bright.
"Despite the restrictions imposed following 9/11, GA has prevailed and grown stronger," Boyer said. "General aviation is the only segment of aviation that can point to solid signs of growth in the last few years. And across the board—from pilots to manufacturers—we're all optimistic about what the future has to hold for our industry."
He pointed to the large number of exhibitors and attendees expected at this year's AOPA Expo 2003 in Philadelphia as an indicator of the robustness of GA. "And for you pilots in the Northeast, Expo will never be closer than Philadelphia," he said.
He also noted that AOPA was working to ensure the future of GA as the founder and biggest contributor to the Be A Pilot program to attract more people to flying, and with the association's General Aviation Serving America Web site to explain general aviation to politicians, the news media, and the general public. He urged the audience to be proactive in using the Web site to explain the value of general aviation to their friends and neighbors.
Inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame for 2003 were mechanic and FBO owner Wayne C. "Pappy" Brubaker; attorney and safety advocate John G. Hite; aircraft restorer and FBO operator Joseph G. Jenkins; Col. Louisa Spruance Morse, Delaware's first and only female CAP commander; Army Air Corps medal-winner John J. Strusowski; and engineer and fighter pilot George Robert Veazey.
The winner of the Youth Achievement Award was Philipp Coffin.
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