Famed airshow performer Sean Tucker will take center stage at NBAA’s annual convention as the 2018 recipient of the Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership. To be presented during the association’s keynote addresses on the opening day of its annual convention (October 16), the award will honor Tucker for his work with underprivileged youth.
Tucker co-founded the Bob Hoover Academy with his son Eric in 2016 to inspire and expose underprivileged youth to aviation. Based in Salinas, California, and named after renowned aviator Bob Hoover, the academy seeks to engage teens in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education, as well as learning to fly.
Tucker originally had named the academy “Every Kid Can Fly” but approached Hoover, who had a storied career as an airshow, test, and fighter pilot, to inquire whether he could ultimately name the program Bob Hoover Academy. Students complete an extensive ground-training curriculum to enter the flight-training program and learn to become accountable to themselves and their teammates.
Performing in more than 525 airshows and in front of 135 million fans since the mid-1970s, Tucker has flown more than 1,275 performances, logging in excess of 20,000 flight hours. He has won numerous aerobatic competitions.
“Through his many aviation and humanitarian efforts, Sean has long established himself as a proven leader whose positive attitude encourages others to pursue their passions,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.
The Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership was named after former FlightSafety International leader Albert L. Ueltschi, who has been recognized for his lifetime of dedication to philanthropic causes including the development of the international non-profit organization Orbis, a flying eye hospital.
Created in 2006, the award in past has recognized Orbis, FedEx founder Fred Smith, the Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift, Veterans Airlift Command, Corporate Angel Network, and Haiti earthquake relief efforts, as well as hurricane relief efforts.
