Brooksville EAA Chapter Honors 14 Aviators with Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1298 at Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport (BKV) honored fourteen local pilots with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. The awards were presented during an appreciation luncheon on January 10 and recognized aviators who have completed 50 or more years of safe, accident-free flying.

Together, the honorees represent more than 700 years of cumulative flight experience, reflecting an exceptional record of safety, skill, and professionalism. Chapter leadership praised the group's collective commitment to aviation excellence and lifelong dedication to safe flight. Collectively, EAA Chapter 1298’s Master Pilots represent a living legacy at Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport, honoring aviation’s past, strengthening the community today, and inspiring the next generation of pilots.

The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is reserved for pilots who demonstrate a sustained record of safe operations over five decades, a milestone that carries practical community benefits. Longstanding attention to safety helps reduce risk for passengers, pilots, and residents near flight patterns while reinforcing standards for training, maintenance, and local flight operations at BKV. For Hernando County, the recognition also underscores the airport’s role as a hub for lifelong aviation careers and a source of local pride.

Beyond ceremonial recognition, the event highlights the civic value of volunteer-run organizations such as EAA Chapter 1298, which help preserve institutional knowledge, mentor new pilots, and maintain the aviation culture that supports recreational flying, flight instruction, and small-business activity tied to the airport. The Hernando County Office of Economic Development issued the media release announcing the honors, signaling county-level attention to Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport’s contribution to regional identity and economic activity.

Several specifics from the announcement remain to be released publicly, including the names and biographies of the 14 honorees, individual flight histories, and photos from the luncheon. The media release did not specify the year of the Jan. 10 luncheon; readers and reporters seeking further detail can contact the county’s economic development office for follow-up.

For more information or press inquiries, contact Kimberly Poppke, Marketing Coordinator, Hernando County Office of Economic Development, 15800 Flight Path Drive, Brooksville, FL 34604; 352-540-6400; kpoppke@hernandocounty.us. Hernando County Government main line is (352) 754-4000.

What this means for readers is straightforward: Brooksville’s aviation community is stewarded by pilots whose decades-long commitment to safe flying help keep local skies and communities safer, preserve a living legacy at BKV, and provide a visible pathway for the next generation of pilots in Hernando County.