Brown Family, Hartzell Propeller Receive 2019 Freedom of Flight Award

July 24, 2019 - The Freedom of Flight Award is EAA's highest honor. It recognizes unique and lasting contributions to EAA and all of aviation. For their entire family's longstanding work in the aviation community, the Brown family and Hartzell Propeller have been named the recipients of the 2019 Freedom of Flight award.

This year's recipients are a unique combination that fully personifies the twin pillars of aviation and family that have been such an enormous part of EAA since its founding. The late Jim Brown carried on the legacy of Hartzell Propeller when he obtained the company in 1987 and also showed his leadership as a member of the EAA board for 12 years, through 2008.

His sons, Joe and Jim, continue to carry on the family's dedication to aviation and its future. Joe has been an EAA board member since 2013 and also serves on the boards of the IMC Club and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. As president of Hartzell Propeller, Joe testified before Congress on the importance of general aviation when he spoke of the dangers of ATC privatization.

Jim is president of Tailwind Technologies and has been involved in Hartzell since 1993. In his role, he drives a vision of innovation and value for aviation customers, with a constant goal of making the equipment we fly even better.

The Brown family has developed a remarkable legacy by not only creating and improving aviation products, but by personally being involved in the future of recreational flight. They truly define EAA's mission of growing participation in aviation through sharing The Spirit of Aviation.