Given Annually To Individuals Who Contribute To Aviation
Felix Maguire is the
2006 recipient of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association’s (AOPA) Laurence P. Sharples Perpetual Award,
given annually to a private citizen for the greatest selfless
commitment to general aviation (GA) by a private
individual. Maguire was presented the Sharples Award at
Saturday night's closing banquet for AOPA Expo 2006... for his
tireless leadership and commitment to aviation in the state of
Alaska.
“Felix has worked relentlessly on behalf of general
aviation in Alaska,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
“From improvements for VFR pilots -- including the
unprecedented establishment of a VFR route across the Bering
Straits to Russia -- to the cutting edge of instrument flight using
ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast), Felix has used
his broad aviation background to improve safety and
.”
Maguire came to Alaska as a Royal Air Force officer on an
exchange program with the U.S. Air Force in 1974, after flying
fighter and transport aircraft around the world. A native of
Ireland, he liked what he saw in Alaska, and stayed. Volunteering
his time and talent, Maguire became a regular speaker at aviation
safety seminars.
After joining the Alaska Airmen’s Association, first as a
board member and later as chairman of the board, Maguire became a
champion for a number of general aviation causes. Opening a VFR
route between Alaska and Russia was one of the causes Maguire
fought for.
Given the lack of small aircraft and non-commercial aviation in
Russia, some of the early hurdles Maguire had to overcome were as
fundamental as getting the Russians to accept a private
pilot’s license as legitimate credentials to fly in their
country. By working with Russian and FAA officials, Maguire and the
Alaskan Airmen’s Association have made it is easier for GA
pilots to push farther into eastern Siberia. Russian Air Traffic
Route B369, with VFR border crossing procedures is now published in
the Alaska Supplement. Work continues to extend the route to
Anadyr, and eventually Magadan and on to Japan.
Maguire is the civil co-chair of the Capstone Coalition, leading
an effort to equip all Alaskan aircraft with ADS-B and WAAS (wide
area augmentation system) -- enabled GPS equipment. During the
early phases of Capstone, he pushed for general aviation pilots to
be included in the initial demonstration program. He is proud of
the 47% reduction in fatal accidents the program has achieved over
five years in southwest Alaska.
Maguire also sits on the Governor’s Aviation Advisory
Board, providing input to state government on aviation issues, and
on the Alaska Civil Military Aviation Council, where his military
aviation background serves him well.