One of aviation journalism’s most respected voices, our sister publication FLYING Magazine’s Fred George, will literally join aviation royalty when he’s inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation on Jan. 19. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is also among the inductees as are CAE CEO Marc Parent and renowned warbird expert and pilot Steve Hinton.
George is one of the most accomplished pilots in aviation media with time logged on almost 200 aircraft, many flown for published evaluations. He has more than 7,000 hours and has won numerous awards for his objective, detailed and thoughtful articles on everything from Piper Cubs to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He was Navy F-4 pilot who became an instructor, jet charter pilot and DPE before joining FLYING in the 1980s and also writing for other publications, including as Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor at Aviation Week. He recently rejoined FLYING.
The awards ceremony is held annually to recognize those who have made significant contributions to aviation and aerospace. According to the group’s website, the “Living Legends of Aviation” include entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, record breakers, astronauts, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots.
Past legends are responsible for nominating and selecting the inductees for the annual ceremony, and Prince Harry’s nomination has raised some eyebrows.
According to the news release, Prince Harry is a British Army veteran and pilot with a decade of military service, conducting training missions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia as well as combat missions in Afghanistan. He is also credited as the founder of the Invictus Games, a global sporting event for wounded veterans.
But despite the accolades, his nomination has drawn backlash across social media channels and British tabloids. Former head of the Royal Navy told MailOnline, “He is not a living legend of aviation. To suggest he is is pathetic. It makes the whole thing seem a bit of a nonsense if they’re willing to pick someone like Prince Harry.”
Others have taken their frustration to change.org with a petition asking for the Living Legends of Aviation to reconsider its decision.
