Several individuals and groups were honored recently by the annual Public Benefit Flying Awards, which are bestowed by the National Aeronautic Association and the Air Care Alliance. This year, the award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Benefit Flying was given to Bob Showalter of Showalter Flying Services, an FBO in Orlando, Fla., “for committed support of public benefit flying organizations in times of national and international crisis,” including his efforts to support relief work following the Haitian earthquake and Hurricane Irene. Lightspeed Aviation Foundation was honored as a Champion of Public Benefit Flying, in recognition of the company’s work creating a support system to help groups involved in public benefit flying.
The individuals who were honored include Susan Lapis, of SouthWings, for her work to protect the ecosystems of the Southeast; Del Reiff, of Wings of Hope, for flying over 3,900 hours to help the needy in Africa and South America; Debi Boies, of Pilots N Paws, for creating a national organization that helps find homes for rescue animals; and Larry Scheffler, of Miracle Flights For Kids, for helping to improve the quality of life for sick children across America and beyond. The awards will be presented in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in September. “These recipients … serve as examples of all those others who work to fly patients for care, serve in times of emergencies, provide educational flights for youth, support environmental causes, help our veterans, and provide help in many other ways to those in need,” said Rol Murrow, chairman of the Air Care Alliance.
