2024 Volunteer Pilot Awards

Spirit of LightHawk

Kent Wien

New England Region

Kent Wien brings unmatched enthusiasm, expert flying, and a passion for conservation to every mission. Over the past year, he captured powerful footage of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts during King Tide events, providing a vital baseline for monitoring coastal change. He returned to the skies above these same coastlines between two major storms to document additional impacts, offering an invaluable perspective to our coastal partners. From eelgrass assessments in Great Bay, NH, to challenging photography flights with photographer J. Henry Fair, Kent’s season of flight was as impactful as it was inspiring.

Rockwell Award

Evan Anderman

Rocky Mountains & Beyond

New to LightHawk in 2023, Evan Anderman quickly made an impression with his generosity, flexibility, and adventurous spirit—core traits of the Rockwell legacy. In just his first year, Evan completed 14 missions, including a four-day journey with documentary filmmakers that involved his first-ever flight into Mexico. Evan’s willingness to take on challenging missions, often far from home, makes him a true ambassador of LightHawk’s mission.

Rookie of the Year

Jay Apt

Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana

Since joining LightHawk in late 2023, Jay Apt has already flown nearly 20 hours across seven missions—from Everglades restoration work with the Everglades Foundation to algal bloom assessments in Florida Bay. Over the summer, Jay piloted video missions documenting conditions along the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers. His dedication, versatility, and readiness to jump into critical missions have made Jay an extraordinary new addition to the LightHawk family.

Carpenter Award

Jack Long

Nationwide & International

Jack Long is the embodiment of consistency and commitment, flying nearly 40 hours last year alone in his own Pilatus PC-12. A LightHawk volunteer since 2011, Jack has completed close to 50 missions, many involving endangered species transport. His flights have helped critical recovery efforts for a variety of species, including California condors, Mexican gray wolves, black-footed ferrets, whooping cranes and American red wolves. Jack’s compassion and steady hand in the cockpit make him this year’s deserving Carpenter Award winner.

President’s Award

Chuck Schroll

Southwest U.S. & Mexico

Chuck Schroll has flown an amazing 439 LightHawk missions since 2001—but his spirit of volunteerism extends far beyond our skies. Whether flying doctors to Mexico with Flying Samaritans, mentoring at-risk youth through Wright Flight, teaching gliding with the Tucson Soaring Club, or sharing the stars with the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, Chuck is a true community champion. His tireless contributions to aviation and service make him the ideal recipient of this year’s President’s Award.