Golf legend Arnold Palmer, one of business aviation’s most prominent cheerleaders, died Sunday in Pittsburgh at the age of 87. Palmer, who became one of golf’s first superstars, was also a tireless promoter of the use of private aircraft to boost productivity. He was a frequent speaker and guest at the National Business Aviation Association conventions and lent his celebrity for the promotion of NBAA causes. “For 50 years, the single most productive thing I’ve done is business aviation,” he said in a TV spot for NBAA in 2009. In 2010, he was awarded NBAA’s Meritorious Service to Aviation Award, the organization’s highest honor. EAA Chairman Jack Pelton, a longtime friend, said Palmer was one of the “greatest gentlemen” he’s met.
As effective as he was as a spokesman, Palmer was also a highly accomplished pilot. He logged more than 20,000 hours, an unusually high number for a private aviator. He had owned 10 aircraft, starting with an Aero Commander and ending with the Citation X he flew on his final flight in 2011 when he voluntarily stopped flying. He also set speed records and flew around the world in 57 hours, 25 minutes and 42 seconds in 1976 in a Lear 76.
Palmer was well known among the aviation advocacy groups and late Sunday, EAA’s Jack Pelton commented on his passing.”So sad to hear today we lost a golf legend, one of the greatest gentleman I have ever known, and an advocate for general aviation. Arnold Palmer was a supporter of EAA. More importantly for me he was the hero and role model for all the things our country was founded on. Thank you Arnie,” Pelton said.
