FAA Designates Long Time Resident of St. Thomas Esteemed Pilot’s Award

In April of this year, accomplished pilot Paul Wikander became the recipient of two of the most prestigious awards administered by the Federal Aviation Administration and will attend the official awards ceremony in August.

Paul Wikander, born in Highland Park, Michigan, in 1940, knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in aviation. As a child he would spend hours watching the planes land and take off at the nearby airport, completely enthralled in the mechanics of the machine and the way it soared through the sky. At the age of 13, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and would go on to complete his first solo flight to Wichita, Kansas, by the age of 16.

“I’ve always admired flying. I loved watching the birds and flying squirrels move from tree to tree. Eventually, this interest would move to planes. It’s all I thought about for as long as I could remember,” said Wikander.