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The Living Legends of Aviation is an award honoring achievements in the aviation industry, bestowed by the 91 current title holders, owned and produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a non-profit 501(c)(3).[1] The Living Legends have all made significant contributions to many areas of aviation including: innovators, record breakers, astronauts, aviation entrepreneurs, industry leaders and celebrity pilots.
The 13th Living Legends of Aviation Awards, honoring the best in aviation for 2015, was presented on January 22, 2016, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, where they have been held annually since 2007.
History
Jerry Lips, publisher of Airport Journals, came up with the idea of the Living Legends of Aviation at the time of the death of Michael Chowdry (founder of Atlas Air).[2]Airport Journals had been collecting and publishing biographies of various aviation personalities and Jerry regretted not having captured Mr Chowdry's history. He began to compile a list of individuals that had made major contributions in the field of aviation, and had those people suggest more names until a list of 70 names was collected. These were the biographies that needed to be recorded while those folks were still "living". The list has grown over the years to its present number of 91. As Legends pass on, they are replaced by new inductees, selected by their fellow Legends.
Jerry Lips founded the Living Legends of Aviation organization with the charter of celebrating the second century of aviation.
In 2008, Kiddie Hawk Air Academy acquired the Living Legends of Aviation and the responsibility for the annual awards show.
Beginning in 2003, an awards show has been organized each year to bring together the Living Legends members for a variety of events. The awards are presented at a live ceremony, most commonly in mid January following the relevant calendar year. This is an elaborate extravaganza, with the invited guests walking up the red carpet to enter the event.
Venues
In 2003, the first Living Legends of Aviation Awards were presented at a banquet dinner hosted by Airport Journals at the Centennial Airport. To avoid any weather related issues, in 2006 the venue was moved to Southern California and held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel. Since 2007 the Awards have been presented at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.[4]