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WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, 22 July 2007 -- Harvard Navy ROTC graduate Danielle Thiriot '07 zoomed into the sky on two flights in vintage east-block aircraft as winner of the 2007 Harvard ROTC Aviation Award. She was accompanied by Joseph Gano, Jr. ’64, originator of the award. She described the experience as follows:
Mr. Gano and I ventured out despite the high humidity and less than stellar visibility. First we took up the Russian Mig-21 and stayed just under the sound barrier (.9 Mach). It was a fantastic ride and it was interesting to feel the controls of a very practical aircraft- no unnecessary bells and whistles. After a few simulated bomb runs on an obliging field, we landed and jumped into the L29 jet. Several barrel rolls and high G turns later we pulled up and reached 7.5 Gs. It was quite a rush. Mr. Gano is an amazing pilot and his love of flight is contagious. As I begin my flight career, I am eagerly awaiting the chance to strap on a high performance aircraft in the future.
The Harvard ROTC Aviation Award originated in a suggestion by Joseph Gano, Jr.
’64, who wanted to encourage Harvard ROTC students to pursue careers in military
aviation. When Joe was admitted to Harvard in 1960 he nearly declined the offer,
because he wanted to fly in the Air Force, and he thought that he would have a
better chance to achieve that goal if he went to the Air Force Academy. By his
own admission, he knew from the age of nine that he wanted to be a jet fighter
pilot. Upon learning that he could enroll in Air Force ROTC at Harvard and go on
to pilot training, he decided to come to Harvard. He went on to fly F-102s on
active duty. A successful business career and the end of the Cold War enabled
him to indulge his love of jet aircraft by acquiring what he described as
several “very fine, well maintained, low time aircraft … at prices just above
scrap value.” In 2002 he owned two MiG-21s and a Czech jet trainer, and he has
since acquired other ex-Soviet jet aircraft. He takes his “Warbirds of Delaware”
to air shows and also makes them available to the Department of Defense to add
realism to jet fighter training programs.
In 2002 Joe proposed offering a flight in a MiG as an award to a selected senior
cadet or midshipman. He declared, “I want real pilots,” and he asked the
directors of the Harvard ROTC Alumni Fund to develop a set of objective selection criteria. After much discussion with Joe, the ROTC unit commanders, and a lawyer, the
directors of the Fund decided that the award should consist of a certificate or
plaque plus a cash stipend. Joe agreed with our suggestion that not only pilot
and navigator candidates but also candidates for other aviation-related career
fields would be eligible. The directors of the Fund annually invite each unit
commander to nominate one candidate, and they invite each candidate to submit a
1-page personal statement. Joe has offered a flight in one of his MiGs to each
recipient. Although the Alumni Fund places no restrictions on the use of the
stipend, it is intended to enable the recipient to travel to Wilmington, Del.,
where Joe’s aircraft are based.
The recipient of the first Aviation Award was Ens. Daniel Walker ’04. His
interest in aviation grew from his grandfather’s experience as a Navy pilot in
the Pacific Theater during World War II. Dan arranged with Joe Gano to take a
flight in a MiG-21, including a few minutes of supersonic time, in October 2004,
before he reported for active duty. Subsequent recipients of the award were 2nd
Lt. William Conners ’05 (Army), Ens. Joseph Payne ’06, and Ens. Danielle Thiriot
’07. Ens. Payne had also decided on aviation long before he entered ROTC. Lt.
Conners and Ens. Thiriot each decided on an aviation career while in ROTC, but
their love of aviation was equally evident in their personal statements. Lt.
Conners and Ens. Payne did not have enough time to arrange flights with Joe
before they reported for their initial active duty assignments, but Joe stated
his willingness to let his offer stand for the duration of their active duty.
(click photo for more detail)
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