‘Hall of Fame’ honor for local aviation pioneers Les LaBar, Marilyn Nasman

Founders of Friday Harbor-based Aeronautical Services, the two will be inducted into the San Juan Aviation Museum on Sunday, April 28, at the Friday Harbor Airport Roy Franklin Terminal, as part of a ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. The ceremony features stories about early island aviation, as well as and light refreshments.

April 26, 2013 4:33 pm
The early days: Marilyn Nasman prepares for takeoff with a cargo of packages in tow.
The early days: Marilyn Nasman prepares for takeoff with a cargo of packages in tow.

San Juan aviation pioneers Marilyn and Les LaBar, founders of Friday Harbor-based Aeronautical Services, are the 6th recipients of San Juan Pilots Association’s annual award honoring the contributions of San Juan Island aviators.

Les and Marilyn (now Marilyn Nasman) started Aeronautical Services in the early 1970s, which was then, and still remainsM. Nasman a lifeline for packages and parcels shipped to and from the mainland, and throughout the islands.

The two honorees will be inducted into the San Juan Aviation Museum Sunday, April 28, at the Friday Harbor Airport Roy Franklin Terminal, as part of a ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. The ceremony features stories about early island aviation, as well as and light refreshments.

As a contract carrier for United Parcel Service, Aeronautical Services beginnings included an extremely small staff of hard working people. If you were sending a package from Friday Harbor to East Sound, it may have been picked up, flown and hand-delivered by the same person.Those who remember Aeronautical’s big blue Otter airplanes were very thankful for the service (and the magnificent sound of those big radial engines).

The San Juan Aviation Museum, started under the leadership of Dr. John Geyman, is a joint project of the Pilots Association and the Port of Friday Harbor. Previous aviation honorees are: Roy Franklin (2008), Marty Stewart (’09), Bob Nichols (’10), Dr. Malcolm Heath (’11), and Frank Brame (’12).

The induction ceremony is Sunday, April 28, 2 p.m., at the Friday Harbor Airport Roy Franklin Terminal. The ceremony features stories about early island aviation, as well as and light refreshments.