The Aero Club will honor Clay Lacy, a world-renowned pilot with over 50,000 flying hours, with its 2011 Howard Hughes Memorial Award. Presentation of the ACSC’s 33rd annual award will take place Feb. 8, 2012 at a banquet at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles.

Aero Club President Nissen Davis announced the award to members attending a special preview of the new Museum of Flying in Santa Monica on Sept. 14. He said the selection of Lacy was voted by a committee of former recipients of the prestigious award.

Lacy is chairman of Clay Lacy Aviation, based at Van Nuys Airport. He is internationally known as an innovator in aerial photography and has conducted several philanthropic aviation missions including a 1988 around-the-world flight in a Boeing 747 that raised $530,000 for children’s charities.

The Clay Lacy Foundation, in association with the EAA Aviation Foundation, sponsors a professional pilot scholarship program at the University of North Dakota.

His long career has included experience as an Air Force and airline pilot, fame as a national air racer, and acclaim for his work as a director and videographer specializing in air-to-air sequences for TV commercials, dramatic series and feature movies such as “Top Gun” and “The Right Stuff.”

Scheduled to present the traditional silver medallion to Lacy at the February banquet is Bob Hoover, 2009 honoree.

Lacy will join a distinguished list of former recipients of the award including Jack Northrop, Jimmy Doolittle, Chuck Yeager, Neil Armstrong, Hoover and many others. Davis said printed invitations to the Feb. 8 banquet will be sent later this year to Aero Club members and others. Meanwhile, details including ticket prices and ordering instructions can be seen on the Events Calendar page of this website.