Living Legends of Aviation to honor Jeff Bezos with prestigious award for his work promoting freedom

Airbus Chairman/CEO Dr. Tom Enders to present "Jeff Bezos Freedom's Wings Award"

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Oct. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Living Legends of Aviation will present Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with the inaugural "Jeff Bezos Freedom's Wings Award." The award will honor Mr. Bezos's lifetime achievements in advancing the principles of freedom in his many business and personal endeavors. The Legends will hold their 16th annual "Living Legends of Aviation Awards" event on Jan. 18, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

"The Living Legends of Aviation live by the mantra 'Free to Fly on Freedom's Wings,'" said Steven Udvar-Hazy, one of the founding Legends. "We are passionate about freedom in the many roles it takes, particularly around flight. This mantra is the inspiration behind our organization's newest and most important award."

Living Legend of Aviation Dr. Tom Enders, the Chairman, and CEO of Airbus, will present the award to Bezos. The award is named for Bezos to honor a lifetime of promoting the principles of freedom in many different forms. From a global perspective, Mr. Bezos has demonstrated his passion for freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom to fly beyond the reaches of our world. The Legends wish to honor his lifetime's pursuit.

"Each year, the Legends honor those who have excelled in the field of aviation and aerospace," said John Travolta, host of the annual awards that honors those who have reached the pinnacle of their fields. "Just as the Booker, Pulitzer, and Nobel prizes allow prestigious organizations to honor those who have reached the pinnacle of their fields, aerospace now has an important international and very prestigious award."

Bezos will receive the honor in this first year of the award, and then he will select the recipient in future years from the many nominees offered by the Legends and the Washington Post.

The Living Legends of Aviation organization was founded on December 17, 2003, exactly 100 years after Orville and Wilbur Wright took their first powered flight, with the purpose of celebrating aviation's second hundred years. The "Living Legends of Aviation" are remarkable people of extraordinary accomplishment in aviation and aerospace; they include entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, astronauts, record breakers, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots. Counting 100 accomplished men and women from across the world among their ranks.

The "Living Legends of Aviation Awards" are produced by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization. Kiddie Hawk's mission is to educate children about and spark their interest in aviation. Please visit Livinglegendsofaviation.org for more information.

CONTACT: Paul Lips, Living Legends of Aviation, paul.lips@livinglegendsofaviation.org