Rol Murrow

Rol Murrow, who, as a co-founder of the Air Care Alliance, introduced the designation to identify flights flown for medical or environmental causes that are not critical but are legitimate public benefit flying missions. (“Lifeguard” is the call sign for critical patient and organ transport flights.) Public-benefit flying is at the heart of Murrow’s aviation life; he’s been involved in saving everything from airports to kids to animals and more.

“My passion for more than 30 years has been encouraging and supporting the tens of thousands of volunteer pilots and their dozens and dozens of groups who fly to help others; patients needing transportation, kids who would enjoy introductory flights, animals needing relocation, communities stricken by disasters, and so much more.” Murrow was also instrumental in preventing Santa Monica Airport (SMO) from closing in 1982 and helped create the 1984 airport agreement that rebuilt all the facilities and kept it open for 30 years. He was an advocacy representative for both Southern California and the Northeast for AOPA from 1989 to 2000. For his accomplishments he was presented with the AOPA Presidential Award by then-AOPA President John Baker.

Murrow’s early memories are of visiting Santa Monica Airport and flying with his uncle in a Navion. His father was an aeronautical engineer who worked for Douglas Aircraft Co. and was on the design team for Howard Hughes’ H–4 Hercules (the “Spruce Goose”). Working in the film industry, the younger Murrow learned to fly in 1975 and joined the SMO flying club. He attended UCLA’s film school and with friends he founded the legendary Fox Venice Theater. He was managing director of SMO’s Museum of Flying.

“A wonderful opportunity came my way in 1996 when I was asked to become executive director of the Wolf Aviation Fund, founded by AOPA Founding Director Abby Wolf and his aviatrix wife Connie,” he said. “Through this group and its support about 400 grants have been given to wonderful groups, projects, and programs. This has been a fabulous learning experience and fun beyond belief.”

Murrow has a strong interest in preserving and promoting backcountry and recreational airstrips; he was a director for the Recreational Aviation Foundation for 12 years. Since 2005 he has lived on and maintained a grass airstrip on the Continental Divide in New Mexico (NM99). NAA recognized Murrow with the National Public Benefit Flying Award in 2016.