Del. Member Honored as FAA 'Wright Bros. Master Pilot'

Lt. Col. Robert W. Turner
Public Affairs Officer
Coastal Patrol Base 2 Memorial Composite Squadro
Delaware Wing

Maj. Lauren Robert Wallace of the Delaware Wing has been awarded the Federal Aviation Association’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot award in recognition of his 50 years of safe flight operations.

The honor recognizes at least 50 years of professionalism, skill and aviation expertise.

Wallace has totaled more than 5,000 hours as a pilot in his corporate career and for Civil Air Patrol flying as a command pilot. He is a member of the Coastal Patrol Base 2 Memorial Composite Squadron.

He received the award from FAA representative Eric Sieracki at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center at Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown, where the Coastal Patrol 2 squadron meets.

”This is the most prestigious award given by the FAA to a pilot,” Sieracki said. Wallace is the eight Delaware pilot to receive the honor.

Col. Robert Mooney, Delaware Wing commander, said he’s known Wallace since 2003. “He is always there, asking how he can help and how he can assist others. That’s Lauren Wallace,” Mooney said.

Wallace joined CAP in 2000 after learning about the organization during a visit to Dover Air Force Base. He has been a member of the Coastal Patrol unit since 2003, holding such duty positions as finance officer and operations officer and piloting more than 130 cadet orientation flights.

No longer a pilot in command, he still frequently flies as a mission observer.