Judy McCarty -- 2014 Exceptional Service Award Winner

[Matthew]

Big NEWS! The CHGPA Exceptional Service Award Winner for 2014 is Judy McCarty.

This beautiful award was created by Rich Donahue, Jim Oldham, and Tucker Battle in 1987 to honor Vic Powell for founding CHGA and for all his other contributions to the sport of hang gliding. Many old-timers, not including Vic, still refer to it as the "Vic Powell award".

The previous recipient was John Middleton and past recipients include Mark Cavanaugh, David Bodner, Allen Sparks, Joe Gregor, Brian Vant Hull and a plethora of hard working and dedicated free flight pilots. The award recognizes significant contributions by club members who have gone above and beyond in providing outstanding service to our local flying community and free flight in general.

Judy McCarty created the first online editions of our Award Winning Newsletter in 2002 and continued to do so through 2007 until the club forum took over as the primary means of communication amongst pilots. She also created and maintained the Hangloa from 1998 through 2005-- a record of flying stories of club members. Her biggest contribution is that of being an Observer. Judy was really the first Mentor. She mentored me and Karen, Dan Tomlinson, Craig, Carlos, Ellis, Brian Vant Hull and so many hangs 2s looking for help and guidance.

This award to Judy is long overdo. I'm so happy that she is receiving it this year.

Thank you Judy for making hang gliding a reality for me and so many others.

Matthew

[Dan T]

It's well earned and long overdue. Judy has had a tremendous impact on the lives of many of the members of this Chapter and especially on mine.

Dan T

[markc]

I would like to point out that Judy mentored a team of all-women pilots for one of the Pulpit Fly-Ins (this was before PG had much of a foothold in these parts, and prior to Judy taking up PG herself), leading her team of XC newcomers down the ridge, multiple times, such that they won the XC event! There is a photo of the pilots involved which is iconic, and led to Females-In-Flight-Incorporated (FiFi).

That was one hell of a fly-in!

MarkC