66th Laureates Lifetime Achievement Award 2024: Clay Lacy

Clay Lacy was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at Aviation Week Network’s 66th Annual Laureates Awards held in Washington on March 14, 2024.

Lacy, known as Mr. Learjet, played a key role in launching the business jet era. He began flying at the age of 12 on his grandmother's farm and joined United Airlines seven years later in 1952 at the age of 19.

In 1964, Lacy demonstrated the first Learjet to Pacific Learjet by flying it into Van Nuys Airport. Four years later, he established Clay Lacy Aviation, becoming the first company to provide jet charter and executive jet management services on the West Coast.

Lacy is a highly experienced pilot who has flown over 300 different types of aircraft and has amassed more than 55,000 flight hours. He is also credited with helping to pioneer the Astrovision camera system, which has been used to film over 3,000 films and photo jobs for airlines and military projects, including the original Top Gun. After a successful career spanning more than 41 years, Lacy retired from United Airlines as Seniority #1.

Congratulations to Clay Lacy for winning the Laureates Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lifetime contributions to aviation.

Aviation Week Network's 67th Laureate Awards 2025

The prestigious Aviation Week Network's 67th Laureate Awards are now open for nominations, recognizing outstanding achievements in the aviation industry. Nominations should be submitted by October 25, 2024, and the winners will be announced on November 8, 2024.

The 67th Laureate Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 6, 2025, at the renowned National Museum in Washington, D.C. This prestigious event promises to be a celebration of excellence, recognizing the remarkable achievements of the awardees.

You can find more information about the Laureate Awards on our website. Check out the brochure highlighting the Laureate winners over the years.