William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek {image via Paramount}

William Shatner is going to need a bigger trophy case. In addition to his Emmy, Saturn, Wilkinson, and Golden Globe awards, the actor/director is about to be presented with the Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award.

Shatner now adds the Aviation Inspiration and Patriotism Award to his mantle. Shatner is a proud Canadian patriot, and an international inspiration for his space flights, both fictional and actual. The award will be presented Friday, January 20, 2023 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hils, California, as part of the Living Legends of Aviation 2oth Annual Awards.

Living Legends of Aviation

The Living Legends of Aviation Awards are from Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, a non-profit group dedicated to educating children about aviation and sparking their interest in aviation and aerospace. According to their website: LIVING LEGENDS OF AVIATION (living-legends-of-aviation.myshopify.com) ” The “Living Legends of Aviation” are remarkable people of extraordinary accomplishment in aviation including: entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, astronauts, record breakers, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots. The Legends meet yearly to recognize and honor individuals that have made significant contributions in aviation.”

Shatner in Real Life

Like Harrison Ford of Star Wars fame, Shater is a private pilot. Shatner made history October 13, 2021, when he broke Senator John Glenn‘s record as the oldest human being to go into space.

William Shatner’s career as an actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, and horseman has spanned 60 years. He originated the role of “Captain James T. Kirk” in 1966 for the television series Star Trek. The series spawned a feature film franchise where Shatner returned as Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek movies, one of which he directed. He has long wanted to travel to space and will become the oldest person to have flown to space.

Shatner is currently the host and executive producer of The UnXplained on The History Channel. From the producers of Ancient Aliens and The Curse of Oak Island, the one-hour, non-fiction series explores the world’s most fascinating, strange and inexplicable mysteries.” He is also a recording artist 1.

{Still from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” Twilight Zone, 1963, image via CBS}

Awards and Honors

In 2019 Shatner was awarded membership in the prestigious Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honors. He received the Dale Wilkinson Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Reining Horse Association in 2017. In 1985 he won the American Saddlebred Horse Association Meritorious Service Award. The American Saddlebred Horse Association agranted him the.J Cronan Sportsmanship Award in 2021. He has two stars on two different Walks of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the USA and the Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario. He’s earned two Emmies, in 2005 for The Practice and 2005 for Boston Legal. In 1980 he was awarded the Saturn Life Career Award and in 1983 he won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for his performance in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. In 2011, his alma mater, McGill University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Letters.

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1 Though to call him a “singer” is a bit of a stretch. -ed That’s why I said recording artist, not singer. Susan Fox doesn’t like it when we lie. SM Since she signs my paycheck, I don’t want to upset her.

Susan Macdonald
Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress ”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.