Frank Piasecki, president and founder of Piasecki Aircraft, has been awarded the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Lifetime Achievement Trophy. A reception was held at a Senate office building in Washington, D.C., followed by
a ceremony at the museum, where Piasecki was presented with the award.
Piasecki’s career as a helicopter pioneer spans 60 years. He was responsible for developing more than 20 vertical-lift aircraft, including the first tandem-rotor helicopter, known as the “flying banana,” the forerunner of which first flew in March 1945 as the PV-3. He also founded what is now the helicopter division of Boeing.