Gaawards

AOPA Awards Show honors GA advocates

U.S. Marine Capt. Gabriel Glinsky, a V-22 Osprey pilot who taught a civilian ground school for 20 fellow Marines during a nine-month combat tour in Afghanistan, received the AOPA’s 2010 “Let’s Go Flying” award Nov. 13 at AOPA Aviation Summit in Long Beach, Calif.

Glinsky, a civilian flight instructor before joining the military, volunteered to teach ground school in Afghanistan because so many of the enlisted Marines in his squadron wanted to become pilots.

“They’re interested in flying, and they’ve got the ability to learn, self-discipline, and persistence to make great pilots,” Glinsky said. “The cost of learning to fly is a barrier, and teaching ground school was a small way for me to help them get started.”

Several members of Glinsky’s class have successfully completed the FAA knowledge exams since returning home, and one was scheduled to fly his first solo cross-country trip this week.

“Teaching ground school helped me a great deal while I was over there,” Glinsky said. “It gave me something positive to focus on, and the time went by very quickly.”

Other awards presented during Summit include:

• Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft Award to Victor Bird, director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, for helping pass a bill to protect the state’s airports. Read more >>
• Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award to Marjy Leggett, an Airport Support Network volunteer who led a successful drive to protect her home airport, Vista Field in Kennewick, Wash., from commercial development. Read more >>
• Joseph P. Crotti Award for General Aviation Advocacy to Jolie Lucas, for defending Oceano Airport in San Luis Obispo, Calif., from commercial development. Read more >>

— Dave Hirschman