It’s not every day that a pilot receives an award for more than 50 years of aviation with no accidents and no incidents, but that is the case for Benjamin Stanley “Stan” Allen of White County.
Allen was honored at Monday night’s Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 611 meeting in Gainesville with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.
For Stan Allen, flying is about freedom. It’s something he has done and loved for close to 60 years now.
But despite all those years and his safety record, he says he had not really considered himself for the prestigious award. Enter pilots David Stovall and Kim Waters, who decided it was time for Allen to get some recognition for decades of safe flying.
“I knew about this award, the Master Pilot Award, but I never really thought that much about it for myself, even though I probably qualified six or seven years ago,” Allen said. “And then I met David and Kim, checked them out in this Cub. And David had already done one of these for one of my friends. And then, all of a sudden, last year he suggested that, ‘hey, you know, we could do this for you’. And I just gave him my details and listed people that would speak favorably of me. So that's how we've wound up and David sent it in. And, of course, the pandemic and everything else. It just takes a while with all the paperwork stuff you have to do. But so that's how I arrived here after flying for 57 years.”
In addition to flying bird surveys for Clemson University and utility line surveys, Allen has shared his love of flying by instructing others, evolving that teaching as new technology comes online.
“Being an aviator hasn't changed at all,” Allen said. “Aviation and the technology has made it so different today. It's been some good and some bad in the technology as we seen some of these air carrier instances.”
Allen said while he is not scared when he takes off each time, he does realize the potential for accidents or other incidents.
“Well, you're always prepared,” Allen said. “You're always looking down the runway and making a decision. What am I going to do if this or that happens? Could be another aircraft here as far as having a collision avoidance issue or it could be just engine failure issues at a low altitude and looking for a place to go. And so that's what you teach a new student right away.”
In a society where it’s hard to get drivers to put down their cell phones while behind the wheel, Allen says flying is something that requires utmost concentration and no distractions.
“I think it takes a certain type of person that wants to get into aviation. And I think that basically, they need to come into it with a mindset that is all about being safe and prioritizing your checks list and balances and minimizing the risk that you take. And you know, there's a lot of things that have happened in aviation that where even experienced pilots make mistakes. You just never ever lose your concentration where you fly. So getting back to the fear part of it, you should have an element of fear because it's kind of an unnatural act. And I'm sure that's where the Wright Brothers were to start with.”
Jim Chaney, aviation safety inspector assigned to the Atlanta Flight Standards District Office, said he would not have missed the chance to come to Gainesville Monday night to present Allen with the award.
“This is just something very special and I really take it to heart,” Chaney said. “I don't care if I had to drive down to Brunswick to do this for him. I would do it.”
Chaney said more pilots are eligible for the award than actually receive it and he wishes more would take advantage of it.
“A lot of the older pilots don't even know about this award,” Chaney said. “And you know, we have people like David to help search out these guys and gals, and I just love it. So, it's not as many as it should be. And they deserve this award. You have to have a pilot's certificate. And if you have military training, that can be used also towards the time of 50 years with no incidents, no accidents.”
And with his more than half century as a pilot, where is Allen’s favorite place to fly? Right here at home.
“I have enjoyed flying all around the Appalachian and, and the coastal areas, too,” Allen said. “I did a lot of powerline patrol for Georgia Power years ago. I had that contract. All this stuff is done with waivers – you fly at 15 or 20 feet and just go up Tallulah Gorge and you'll be coming over a mountain and, all of a sudden, you're 10 feet and then you're at your 1,000 feet. It is just the beauty of the landscape. Maybe not like out west. I've flown out west some, but this is home, and this is what I've been used to.”
