Marine veteran recognized for decades of smooth flying

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Marine veteran recognized for decades of smooth flying
By Alan Olson, The Intelligencer
Jul 25, 02:47 PM
Al Depto holds with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport on June 25, 2022 in Wheeling, W.Va. (Al Depto via AP)

WHEELING, W.Va. — A lifetime of work on the tarmac and in the clouds earned a Wheeling man the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in recognition of decades of smooth flying.

Al Depto, an Elm Grove native, was presented with the award at a pilots’ picnic at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport on June 25. The award recognizes certified pilots with more than 50 years of piloting and operations experience who have maintained their good standing. Depto’s partner, Mary C. Davis, submitted his application to the Federal Aviation Administration in secret, catching him completely by surprise when the award

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SGT Charlie Lee PO2 Marco Monsalve SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones Sgt (Join to see) SrA John Monette SFC Bernard Walko SPC Michael Terrell SMSgt Anil Heendeniya CPL Douglas Chrysler A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney GySgt Jack Wallace SGT Mark Anderson CPL LaForest Gray SGT Steve McFarland