Prince Harry is being inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation. The Duke of Sussex, along with fellow inductees Fred George, Marc Parent and Steve Hinton, will be honored at the 21st Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards on Jan. 19.
The event, hosted by John Travolta —who once famously danced with Harry’s mom Princess Diana — will recognize individuals “who have made significant contributions to aviation/aerospace.”
Harry “began training as an Army Air Corps Pilot in 2009,” according to his biography on the royal family’s website. “Following the completion of his Army Pilot’s Course he was selected to train as an Apache Pilot and began the 18-month Apache training course, during which he was awarded the prize for best Co-Pilot Gunner.”
The Duke became “a fully operational Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot in February 2012” and at the end of 2012, “he undertook his second tour of duty to Afghanistan, this time as an Apache Pilot, returning at the beginning of 2013. Harry “qualified as Apache Aircraft Commander” in 2013 and in 2014 he “completed his attachment to the Army Air Corps.”
Lauren Sánchez , who founded Black Ops Aviation in 2016, is also set to be honored at the event with the Elling Halvorson Vertical Flight Hall of Fame Award. “Lauren is a role model and true inspiration for so many women in aviation. She actively engages in many facets of the vertical flight industry, from licensed pilot to businesswoman, and uses her platform to encourage young women and girls to find their place within the industry,” Stacey Elsner, acting executive director of the Living Legends of Aviation, said in a previous press release.
This year’s Living Legends of Aviation Awards will also include William Shatner, Kenny G, Kurt Russell and others. The Living Legends of Aviation Awards are produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to educate children about and spark their interest in aviation.”
