Harrison Ford - Award Winning Pilot

In the seventies and eighties actor Harrison Ford flew a spaceship called the Millennium Falcon as Han Solo as a part of the blockbuster "Star Wars" trilogy. During the nineties he traded in the Falcon for a more earthly flying machine in the form of small airplanes an helicopters. The flying enthusiast took his love of planes and flying step further not only be collecting planes; but also by becoming chairman for the Young Eagles program in the Experimental Aircraft Association. Not only does Ford teach young flying hopefuls how to fly an airplane; he also takes some of them for rides in his De Havilland Beaver. So far Ford has taken some 300 children for a trip among the clouds. Besides the Beaver Ford owns Bonanza, Gulfstream IV, and a Bell 407 Helicopter.

For his efforts Harrison Ford was honoured for his work with the Young Eagles at the sixth annual Legends of Aviation Awards on January 22 in Los Angeles.

Fellow flyer and past Young Eagles director Sydney Pollack was also in attendance to receive the Special Flown West Tribute.

Barely above a C average student in Chicago this son of an Irish father and a Russian-Jewish mother has become one of the premiere actors in Hollywood. Besides the "Star Wars" movies Ford has appeared in numerous other films including "Force 10 from Navarone", Jack Ryan in "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger", as the adventurous archeologist Indiana Jones in the "Indy" series, "K-19: The Widowmaker", "Blade Runner", "Air Force One" and "Witness" where he showed off his skills as a master carpenter.