RFT 044: John and Martha King

John and Martha King have trained more than half of all pilots seeking pilot certificates over the past 40 years, with over 98 percent passing their written exams on the first attempt. They have won numerous awards and possess every FAA airman certificate available to civilian pilots.In this podcast, they discuss their aviation journey , which includes an around-the-world flight in their Falcon 10 aircraft, and their piloting of the Fuji Film airship. Throughout the podcast their passion for aviation shines through. They are strong supporters of aviation education and risk mitigation.Their awards:

Awards and Honors

• 1996 Kings named "Aviation Educators of the Year" by Professional Pilot Magazine.
• 2001 Martha appointed by President Clinton to First Flight Centennial Federal Advisory Board to help promote celebrations of the 100th anniversary of flight.
• 2002 Kings inducted into the International Forest of Friendship, for contributions to aviation. The International Forest of Friendship is located in Atchison, Kansas, hometown of Amelia Earhart.
• 2003 Martha honored by a resolution of the California Assembly and a proclamation from the Governor of California as the EAA chose Martha to fly the state flag to Kitty Hawk for the First Flight Centennial.
• 2003 Martha honored as one of the 100 Distinguished Aviation Heroes in the first century of flight by the First Flight Centennial Commission. At Kitty Hawk on December 16, 2003, Martha shared this honor with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yeager, John Glenn and Patty Wagstaff and 15 others of the 32 recipients still living.
• 2003 Martha named one of the "100 Most Influential Women in Aviation" by Women in Aviation International.
• 2004 John received the 2004 "Excellence in Pilot Training" award from the National Air Transportation Association.
• 2004 John and Martha were each presented with "Master Air Pilot" awards in recognition of long service and consistently high standards by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in a ceremony presided over by His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, in the ancient Guildhall of London.
• 2005 Martha awarded the prestigious Cliff Henderson Award for Achievementfrom the National Aeronautic Association. This annual award is presented to "a living individual or group whose vision, leadership, or skill has made a significant and lasting contribution to the promotion and advancement of aviation or space activity." Previous recipients include Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, General Curtis LeMay, Frank Borman, Scott Crossfield, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and Ernest K. Gann.
• 2007 John and Martha receive honorary Paul Tissandier Diplomas from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), in Lausanne, Switzerland, for serving the cause of general aviation through "their work, initiative, and devotion".
• 2008 John and Martha jointly receive the Forrest M. and Pamela Bird award by the Civil Aviation Medical Association for "...exceptional contributions to the safety of civil aviation as pilots and educators through exercising excellent judgment, logic and common sense in evaluation and training of civil pilots through the years".
• 2008 John and Martha jointly receive the Vision Award from Business & Commercial Aviation. Other 2008 recipients include Michimasa Fujino, CEO of Honda Aircraft Co and the driving force behind the Honda Jet, and Paul Bowen, the inspirationally artistic aviation air-to-air photographer.
• 2008 John and Martha each are elected as Fellows of the Explorers Club in New York City for their contributions to the cause of exploring by making aviation accessible as a tool for exploration throughout the world.
• 2008 John and Martha each receive the prestigious Lowell Thomas award from the Explorers Club. This award is named for Explorers Club member Lowell Thomas, the journalist whose news reports introduced "Lawrence of Arabia"—T.E. Lawrence—to the Western public and is given to honor men and women who have distinguished themselves in the field of exploration. John and Martha were recognized for their work in making aviation accessible as a tool for exploration.
• 2008 John and Martha inducted as a couple into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame. They joined famous aviation pioneers such as the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, Jack Northrop, William Boeing, Reuben H. Fleet, Glenn Curtiss, Wally Schirra, T. Claude Ryan, and Jimmy Doolittle Jr.
• 2009 John and Martha jointly awarded the American Spirit Award by the National Business Aviation Association. This award is presented in recognition of individuals within business aviation who exemplify the courage and pursuit of excellence and service to others that characterizes the men and women who created and nurtured the American aviation community.
• 2010 Martha inducted into the Fairborn (Ohio) Schools Hall of Honor, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of graduates of Fairborn Schools.
• 2012 John and Martha both named Living Legends of Aviation in an exciting evening in Beverly Hills sponsored by the Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, joining a short list of aviation luminaries including Bob Hoover, Clay Lacy, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Kurt Russell, Tom Cruise and "Sully" Sullenberger.
• 2012 John and Martha jointly awarded the IAOPA Service Award for Excellence in Aviation Safety and Pilot Training Education by the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations at the 26th World Assembly, Cape Town, South Africa
• 2012 John and Martha jointly awarded the prestigious Frank G. Brewer Trophy for Aviation Education by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) for their significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education by making aviation knowledge more accessible to pilots worldwide.
• 2014 John named by AOPA Pilot magazine as one of 24 "General Aviation Giants" whose "contributions influence the way we fly and think about flying."
• 2014 Martha named by the Ohio School Boards Association to be a "Proud Product of Ohio Public Schools".
• 2014 John and Martha jointly honored by Tomorrows Aeronautical Museum with the "Inspiring and Educating Aviators" award.
• 2014 John and Martha jointly awarded the Sword of Honour by The Honourable Company of Air Pilots for outstanding contributions to general aviation. The presentation was made by His Royal Highness, The Prince Michael of Kent, in the ancient Guildhall of London.
• 2014 John awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award by the FAA for having demonstrated professionalism, skill and aviation expertise for more than 50 years.
• 2015 John and Martha jointly awarded the Pinnacle Award by the Flight School Association of North America for their years of service to the general aviation industry.

Their website, offering more than 90 courses for pilots at every level of proficiency, is www.kingschools.com.Twitter: @FunFlyinghttps://youtu.be/RHKbeT-EZHM