Thomas Allen Burke First Greenville Resident to Earn Wright Brothers’ Master Pilot Award

On October 21, 1962, at 19 years of age, Thomas Allen Burke successfully completed his first solo flight in a small, single engine Piper Colt out of the Raleigh Municipal Airport in North Carolina.

Spanning a fifty plus year period since then, this Greenville resident has safely piloted numerous different makes and models of aircraft. Holder of an Airline Transport Rating, Burke served many years as Chief Flight Instructor at Bob Jones University, participated in frequent humanitarian relief flights throughout the Caribbean and South America with Missionary Flights International and since 1990 has served as a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) here in South Carolina.

According to the FAA's website, the Wright Brothers’ Master Pilot Award is an avenue for the FAA to publically recognize the efforts of pilots who have followed and continue to follow the precaution and awareness of safe flight operations. Most of all, the FAA states that it recognizes pilots who have exhibited professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise for 50 or more consecutive years of piloting aircraft. The award's online database indicates that fewer than 2,600 pilots nationally have received this award and of those, only 18 reflect a current South Carolina address. Thomas Burke is the first Carolinian awardee listed from the city of Greenville.

"Tom consistently takes the time to help young and old pilots alike by encouraging them and making flying meaningful, like using (his) knowledge and sound judgment that will result in a safe flight.  He has been an inspiration and good example to us all," stated fellow pilot Morgan Parris, one of several local airmen who nominated Burke for this award. "I believe one of his favorite aircraft he has flown is the DC-3, on which he was a captain for many years,” added Parris.

Burke’s record of safe flying will be recognized at 1:45 PM on Saturday, September 28th during the Southeast Aviation Expo (SEAE) which will be held at the Greenville Downtown Airport in South Carolina.

For more information about the SEAE, please visit http://www.scaaonline.com/southeast-aviation-expo/ or call 1 (877) FLY-SCAA (359- 7222)

GMU is the busiest general aviation airport and third busiest airport overall in South Carolina and is a self-sufficient entity with financial strength that doesn't rely on local taxpayers for funding. GMU is home to Greenville Jet Center, the largest Fixed Base Operator (FBO) in S.C., as well as more than 25 other aviation-related businesses creating 453 jobs that annually contribute more than $35.2 million to the Upstate economy.  For more information about GMU please visit http://www.greenvilledowntownairport.