AOPA Honors Aviation's Finest at 2026 Hoover Awards

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) honored six aviation leaders on March 17 at the annual Hoover Awards ceremony at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The awards, named for legendary aviator R.A. "Bob" Hoover, recognize individuals whose contributions to general aviation carry on Hoover's legacy. "This year's honorees have helped shape every corner of general aviation—in the flight deck, the classroom, the hangar, and the halls of Congress. Their work, and the people they continue to inspire, are a reminder that this community is strong, and that there is a place for everyone in it," said AOPA Acting Co-President Katie Pribyl. "There is no more fitting place to honor people who have given so much to general aviation than the National Air and Space Museum. It serves as a reminder that aviation's story is still being written, and that our best chapters are ahead," said AOPA Acting Co-President Jill Baker.R.A. "Bob" Hoover Award: Barry Schiff Barry Schiff, a longtime contributor to AOPA Pilot magazine and one of the most decorated aviators in general aviation history, is this year's recipient of the R.A. "Bob" Hoover Award. During his 34-year career at Trans World Airlines and in the years since, he has authored nearly 2,000 articles published in more than 100 aviation publications, driven by a lifelong passion for teaching. He has been inducted as a Living Legend of Aviation and received AOPA's own L.P. Sharples Perpetual Award, among dozens of others. The Hoover Award honors pilots who exemplify Hoover's airmanship, leadership, mentorship, and passion for flight.Brigadier General Charles McGee Aviation Inspiration Award: Glendon Fraser Glendon Fraser, founder of the Red Tail Flight Academy, has spent decades opening doors for underrepresented communities. A U.S. Air Force veteran and former United Airlines check airman, Fraser established the Lt. Lee Archer Jr. Youth Flying Program for middle and high school students and led the Trowell-Harris Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen organization for 25 years. Over the past 27 years, his scholarship program has distributed more than $300,000 to college-bound students.Richard G. McSpadden General Aviation Safety Award: Mike Busch Mike Busch, co-founder of AVweb and author of the monthly "Savvy Maintenance" column in AOPA Pilot, is widely regarded as one of general aviation's leading maintenance educators. As a licensed Aandamp;P/IA and aircraft owner for more than five decades, Busch hosts AOPA's Ask the Aandamp;Ps podcast and has authored four books and hundreds of articles on maintenance topics. He is credited with introducing pulse oximeters and carbon monoxide detectors into GA cockpits in the 1990s.AOPA Foundation Future of Flight Award: Randolph Mahoney Randolph Mahoney, a retired American Airlines captain and former U.S. Navy pilot, has dedicated his post-airline career to advancing aviation safety and education. In 2020, he established the Hall-Halliburton Air Safety Endowment, which provides ongoing support to the AOPA Air Safety Institute and funds the annual presentation of the Richard G. McSpadden General Aviation Safety Award.Joseph B. "Doc" Hartranft Award: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) received the Hartranft Award, which is presented to Congressional leaders who advocate on behalf of general aviation. Since his election to the Senate in 2014, Sullivan has strongly supported GA pilots. Sullivan is an original co-sponsor of the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (S. 2175), which would prohibit the use of ADS-B for commercial purposes and protect pilots' data from misuse.Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award: Douglas Rice Douglas Rice received the Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award for his outstanding contributions to general aviation as an advocate, community leader, and model for the next generation of pilots.