The National Aeronautic Association will present this year’s Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman of Aviation Awards to General Jack Dailey, Leon Potts, James Coyne, and John Cashman.
The awards will be presented at the NAA Fall Awards Banquet on Monday, Nov. 7 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
AWARD WINNERS
General Jack Dailey, USMC (Ret.) flew over 7,000 hours in a variety of aircraft and flew 450 combat missions during his 36-year career in the Marine Corps. In 1990, he was promoted to the rank of general and named Assistant Commandant. He then joined NASA as Associate Deputy Administrator, where he led the agency’s internal operations. In January 2000, General Dailey became Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. During Dailey’s tenure, the museum has expanded to include the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport.
From his first parachute jump in 1952 to his current service on the National Skydiving Museum’s Board of Trustees, Leon “Lenny” Potts has dedicated himself to the skydiving and aviation communities and continues to make a lasting impact today. He was instrumental in promoting the sport of parachuting by forming local clubs and associations, always stressing safety. He served with the U.S. Parachute Teams as team pilot when they competed in the World Parachuting Championships in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Great Britain. He has served on the NAA Sport Aviation Council. He has been awarded the U.S. Parachute Association’s highest honor — the Lifetime Achievement Award — and this fall will be inducted into the National Skydiving Hall of Fame.
President of the National Air Transportation Association since 1994, Jim Coyne is a lifelong advocate of aviation safety. He serves on the Board of Governors of the FlightSafety Foundation and was Founder and President of the Air Charter Safety Foundation. He began his career as CEO of a family business in Philadelphia, and in 1980 was elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan asked Coyne to join his staff as director of the White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives. A pilot with over 6,000 hours, he has also served as President of the American Consulting Engineers Council, the American Tort Reform Association, and Americans to Limit Congressional Terms.
John Cashman joined Boeing in 1966 and retired as its Director of Flight Crew Operations and Chief Pilot in 2007. During his tenure he was involved with numerous major Boeing aircraft projects including the 707, 727, 767, and 777 and many of these aircraft derivatives. With over 9,000 hours, he has set a number of World Records including the longest flight in a commercial aircraft. Today, Cashman continues working on the 787 program, shaping the future of flight at Boeing and around the world.
For more information: NAA.aero
