Recognizing aviators

Honorees include pilot and AOPA columnist Barry Schiff, Red Tails Flight Academy founder Glendon Fraser, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, aviator Douglas Rice, Randolph Mahoney, and A&P Mike Busch.

R.A. “Bob” Hoover Award: Barry Schiff

With 28,000 hours logged in more than 363 types of aircraft, Barry Schiff has received worldwide recognition for his wide-ranging aeronautical accomplishments. He held an airline transport pilot at 21 and has earned every FAA category and class rating (except airship) and every possible instructor rating. Schiff retired from Trans World Airlines in 1998 after a 34-year career during which he flew everything from the Lockheed Constellation to the Boeing 747 and was a check captain on the Boeing 767.

He holds five world speed records (one captured from the Soviet Union) and has received numerous honors for his many contributions to aviation safety. These include a Congressional Commendation, the Louis Blériot Medal (France), Switzerland’s Gold Proficiency Medal, an honorary doctorate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and AOPA’s L. P. Sharples Perpetual Award. Schiff also has been inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and the Experimental Aircraft Association/National Association of Flight Instructors Flight Instructor Hall of Fame and was elected as an Elder Statesman of Aviation by the National Aeronautic Association. In 2012 he was inducted as a Living Legend of Aviation.

An award-winning journalist and author, he is well known to flying audiences for his numerous books and more than 1,800 articles published in 111 aviation magazines, notably AOPA Pilot of which he is a longtime contributor. Many of his articles discuss personally developed concepts, procedures, and techniques that have received international acclaim. Schiff also developed and worked to have adopted the concept of providing general aviation pilots with safe VFR routes through high-density airspace. In 1995 and with the direct approval of Jordanian King Hussein and Israeli Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin, Schiff contributed to the Middle East peace process by leading a formation of 35 airplanes carrying 135 Americans, Israelis, and Jordanians from Jerusalem to Amman. As a result, he became the first pilot ever allowed to fly between those countries.

The R.A. “Bob” Hoover Award recognizes aviators who exemplify Hoover’s airmanship, leadership, mentorship, and passion for aviation. Past recipients include Russ Meyer Jr., Clay Lacy, Harrison Ford, and other passionate aviators.

The R.A. “Bob” Hoover Award recognizes aviators who exemplify Hoover’s airmanship, leadership, mentorship, and passion for aviation.

Brigadier General Charles McGee Aviation Inspiration Award: Glendon Fraser

Glendon Fraser has dedicated his life to fostering career pathways in the aviation industry. Fraser immigrated to the United States from Jamaica as a youth. He later served in the U.S. Air Force and as assistant chief pilot and senior line check airman at United Airlines. Significant achievements include the formation of the Trowell-Harris Chapter of the national Tuskegee Airmen organization, for which he served as acting president for 25 years, and the creation of the Lt. Lee Archer Jr. Youth Flying Program, an aviation ground school for middle and high school students that offers three hours of classroom instruction once a week. Fraser launched the Red Tail Flight Academy, which focuses on training minority flight students for future airline employment.

In addition to his educational initiatives, Fraser has established a permanent scholarship fund through fundraising efforts. His scholarship program awards $1,000 to $2,000 in tuition assistance to 10 to 14 Hudson Valley college-bound students annually, distributing $300,000 to deserving students over the past 27 years.

The award recognizes aviators who persevere through adversity and have inspired others on their way to becoming pilots and leaders in the aviation industry and honors the late Brig. Gen. Charles McGee.

The Richard G. McSpadden General Aviation Safety Award: Mike Busch

Mike Busch is arguably the best-known A&P/IA in GA. He is a respected aviation writer and teacher, author of four books and many hundreds of magazine articles and online webinars. Busch co-founded AVweb, the first online aviation magazine and newsletter. Today, he writes the monthly “Savvy Maintenance” column in AOPA Pilot magazine and presents a maintenance-focused webinar. He also presents two podcasts: AOPA’s Ask the A&Ps call-in show and a long-form interview show called Aviation Masters. As both an aircraft owner for more than five decades and an A&P/IA, Busch understands how owners and their mechanics can and should work together as a team to achieve the highest level of safety and dispatch reliability while minimizing frustration and expense. A staunch general aviation safety advocate and technology buff, Busch introduced pulse oximeters and digital carbon monoxide detectors into GA cockpits in the 1990s.

AOPA Foundation Future of Flight Award: Randolph Mahoney

Randolph Mahoney holds a Ph.D., Doctor of Medical Science, and is a retired captain for American Airlines, recently completing 37 years of service. He is a former U.S. Navy aviator, naval aviation safety officer, and naval flight instructor. In both his civilian and military roles, he has participated in mishap investigations and helped develop safety and training programs. He holds FAA certificates as an ATP and also has commercial pilot privileges in aircraft and helicopters, as well as being a CFI. Having flown extensively in the National Capital Area, he is familiar with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and its operations and was consulted on the January 2025 accident investigation. In 2020, he established the Hall-Halliburton Air Safety Endowment, which provides ongoing support to the AOPA Air Safety Institute, and supports the annual presentation of the Richard McSpadden General Aviation Safety Award.

Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft Award: Sen. Dan Sullivan

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) is awarded the Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft Award in recognition of his outstanding legislative support of general aviation. Sullivan was a key supporter of the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act S.2175. The Hartranft Award is presented to a Congressional leader who advocates on behalf of GA.

Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award: Douglas Rice

Douglas Rice is a passionate general aviation advocate, leader in the aviation community, and role model to the next generation. He is awarded the 2026 Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to general aviation. 

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