The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will honor\nseveral pioneers in aviation and aviation safety during its virtual\nfifth-annual AOPA R.A. \u201cBob\u201d Hoover Trophy Award presentation on February 3.\nThe celebration will take place virtually this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event, which is typically limited to 200 people and\ntakes place in the historic Terminal A at Ronald Reagan Washington National\nAirport in Washington, D.C., is free and open to everyone through the\nlivestream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Famed aerodynamicist Burt Rutan, who designed Voyager, the\nfirst aircraft to make a nonstop, non-refueled circumnavigation in 1986, and\nSpaceShipOne, which made three successful suborbital spaceflights in 2004, will\nbe honored with the prestigious R. A. \u201cBob\u201d Hoover Trophy Award. Rutan has\ndesigned 49 manned aircraft, 25 of which the public can view in museums\nworldwide; 17 are still flying. The first trophy was presented to Hoover\nhimself in 2016, Sean D. Tucker in 2017, Harrison Ford in 2018, and Clay Lacy\nin 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AOPA will also present the inaugural Brigadier General\nCharles E. McGee Aviation Inspiration Award to retired Brig. Gen. Charles\nMcGee, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. In addition to honoring McGee with the\nfirst award, AOPA will also present it to its second recipient, U.S. Air Force\nMaj. Kenyatta Ruffin, an F\u201316 pilot and commander of the 71st Operations\nSupport Squadron. Ruffin founded the nonprofit Legacy Flight Academy, which\nhelps youth discover their passion for aviation careers and hosts programs that\ndraw upon the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President Richard\nMcSpadden will present the GA Safety Award to Boris Popov, founder of BRS\nAerospace. The company\u2019s whole-aircraft parachute rescue system has saved more\nthan 400 lives; more than 35,000 systems have been installed on experimental,\nsport, certified, and military aircraft. The award honors those who \u201chave\ndelivered exceptional performance in safety to benefit the entire general\naviation industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n