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HistoryAero Club Trophy and Foundation established, past presidents honored In 1993, in furtherance of its mission to extend honors and hospitalities to eminent aviators, and in the spirit of this goal, the Club created the Aero Club of Washington Trophy for Aviation Excellence in 1993. The trophy was renamed in 2000, becoming the Donald D. Engen Aero Club of Washington Trophy for Aviation Excellence. It’s new descriptive honors Adm. Engen, former Naval aviator, former FAA Administrator and member of the National Transportation Board, and Director of the National Air and Space Museum at the time of his tragic death in 1999 in a glider accident The first Trophy, presented in 1993, went to Herb Kelleher, Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines. Since its inception, the Trophy has been presented on an annual basis to some of the most distinguished individuals and groups in aviation. As the Aero Club began to expand its focus, the Board determined that a Foundation should be created to further enhance the Club’s support for aviation education. In order to encourage corporate contributions and sponsorships, the Club formed the Aero Club of Washington Foundation on June 7, 1995. The source for the initial funding of the Foundation was a "Celebration of Aviation" held at Washington National Airport in September, 1998. The event, held at the Signature Flight Support facility, was widely attended and included a static display of modern and classic aircraft. The event provided a focus on the purpose of the Aero Club Foundation of Washington and also generated sufficient revenue to sponsor three separate aviation education initiatives in 1999 and make a sizeable contribution to the Foundation's long term fund. In recognition of the long and notable history of the Aero Club and its previous leadership, a reception was hosted to honor the past presidents in November 1997. More than twenty past presidents gathered, spanning the decades back to the early 1970. The Aero Club of Washington continues to serve as the host Aero Club in cooperation with the National Aeronautic Association in the presentation of the Wright Memorial Trophy. This formal event is the highlight of the year for many in the aviation industry as nearly 1,000 people gather in December to honor that year's recipient. The tradition of the dinner has grown over the years and it continues to be one of the Club’s premier events. The Aero Club of Washington has a notable 97 year history of bringing the Washington and national aviation community together to share an appreciation of aviation issues and the Aero Club Foundation of Washington seeks to instill a continued interest in aviation for future generations. |
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Aero Club of Washington |