John Travolta To Host 22nd Annual Living Legends Of Aviation Awards In Beverly Hills On April 25th 2025; Legends To Honor Aerial Fire Crew Heroes

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 22^nd Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, to be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, will honor those who have made significant contributions to aviation and aerospace. John Travolta, the "Official Ambassador of Aviation," and the "Living Legends of Aviation" are excited to welcome three new remarkable Inductees to their ranks:

• Christopher Cassidy- a former NASA astronaut and Navy SEAL, Chris is a veteran of three spaceflights and ten spacewalks, logging 377 days in space.
• Robert "Hoot" Gibson- is a decorated Navy fighter pilot, veteran astronaut, and air race pilot.
• Tom Costello- Emmy award-winning NBC News Correspondent based in Washington, D.C., and NBC's lead Aviation & Space Correspondent.

For more information please visit: https://living-legends-of-aviation.myshopify.com/pages/22nd-annual-inductees-honorees

Living Legend of Aviation Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, as well as Living Legend Morgan Freeman and others, will be honoring the aerial fire crews that were instrumental in the fight against the Los Angeles area fires that were so destructive in January of this year. This memorable segment will pay special tribute to all the men and women who were involved in the aerial operations as they flew hundreds of missions in unforgiving conditions to protect and save people and property.

The Polaris Dawn Crew will receive the inaugural Dr. Buzz Aldrin Space Advancement Award for their historic Polaris Dawn mission. Commander Jared Isaacman, Mission Pilot Scott "Kid" Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon performed cutting-edge experiments, high altitude orbital maneuvers and performed the first ever private spacewalk.

Kaye Gitibin will receive the Aviation Entrepreneur Award. Gitibin is the co-founder and CEO of Go Rentals, the only vehicle rental company in the world specializing in private aviation and the only one with NATA Safety First certification.

Ronald Draper, CEO Textron Aviation, will receive the "Lifetime Aviation Industry Leader Award." He has overseen the growth of Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker brands, shaping the future of aviation innovation. A West Point graduate, Draper served as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot and brings decades of leadership in aviation manufacturing and community service.

The Dr. Sam B. Williams Technology Award will be presented to Burt Rutan, a retired American aerospace engineer and entrepreneur. He designed the record-breaking Voyager aircraft, which in 1986 was the first aircraft to fly around the world without refueling. He also designed SpaceShipOne, the first non-government, privately funded, manned spacecraft to fly to space.

Sir Peter Beck will receive the Eren Ozmen Aviation Entrepreneur of the Year Award. As founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer of Rocket Lab, a Nasdaq-listed leading launch and space systems company, he is opening access to space to improve life on Earth. Since founding the company in 2006, Sir Peter has grown Rocket Lab into a global organization of 2,500 people across the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

LCDR Amanda "Stalin" Lee is the recipient of the Barron Hilton Aviation Inspiration Award for breaking through the barrier by becoming the first female demonstration pilot for the Blue Angels. Her decorations include four Navy Achievement medals and various personal and unit awards.

Kenn Ricci's Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award will be presented to Louis Pepper. Louis built Atlantic Aviation into one of the nation's largest general aviation companies and helped redefine the concept of a World Class FBO. Pepper served as Atlantic Aviation's CEO until 2023 and now serves as an active member of the company's board of directors and senior advisor to the CEO.

Following the "Legends" tradition, the program will include the "Flown West" tribute to four Legends who have "Flown West" since the Legends last gathering. They include Richard "Dick" Rutan, Roy Morgan, Brig. Gen. Clarence E. "BUD" Anderson, and Major General William "Bill" Anders.

The Living Legends of Aviation are remarkable people of extraordinary accomplishment in aviation/aerospace; they include entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, astronauts, record breakers, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots. More than 100 men and women from across the world are among their ranks.

The "Living Legends of Aviation Awards" are produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization. Kiddie Hawk's mission is to educate children about and spark their interest in aviation. Please visit Livinglegendsofaviation.org for more information.

Media and Red Carpet
Living Legends of Aviation
Patty Kovacevich
[email protected]

SOURCE Kiddie Hawk Air Academy