Savoy Flightstar President hits milestone some pilots only dream of

SAVOY, Ill. (WCIA) — The President of Flightstar got an award that many pilots around the world haven’t.

It’s called the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. It’s presented to pilots who’ve reached a milestone of 50 years of flying. Award recipient Bill Giannetti said there are only about 8,000 pilots who have reached this achievement.

Giannetti said what makes this moment special is where he’s located.

“I trained here at the University of Illinois airport. I went to the Institute of Aviation, and I’ve essentially flown my entire career here at this airport. So not only have I been flying for 50 years, but 50 years at the same airport. So that’s probably a fairly unique statistic,” Giannetti said.

He’s been flying since he was nineteen years old. He says the best thing about his career is training and working with younger pilots.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.