The Lindbergh Foundation, which developed the Air Shepherd program to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching by using drones, recently honored San Clemente entrepreneur, Scott Struthers, at an event marking the 90th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s first solo transatlantic flight. The event took place May 20th and also marked the 40th anniversary of the foundation created to continue the vision of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
The gathering was held at The Explorers Club in New York where the Lindbergh Foundation was created decades after the historic New York-to-Paris flight. Sir Edmund Hillary, General James H. Doolittle, and astronaut Neil Armstrong led the national campaign to establish the foundation, with the intent to sustain the Lindberghs’ pioneering interest in aviation, technology, and conservation. Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh and their contributions to the modern age of aviation was the focus of the night along with the Lindbergh Foundation’s support of the advanced application of specialized electric aircraft to reduce poaching, as well as the future of revolutionary electric-powered aviation.
As part of this memorable event, Scott Struthers, co-founder of Sonance—a manufacturer of in-wall and in-ceiling home entertainment systems—was honored with the Tingmissartoq Medal for his support of the Lindbergh Foundation’s Air Shepherd program.
The medal’s namesake was a Lockheed Model 8 Sirius flown by Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the 1930s. Tingmissartoq means “one who flies like a big bird” and this plane was a reliable workhorse that carried the Lindberghs to a number of destinations as they worked to open air routes in the early days of aviation—taking the industry to the next level. The medal is awarded periodically to the Lindbergh Foundation’s most valued supporters who significantly contribute to furthering the mission of the foundation.
“Scott Struthers has provided outstanding support to the Air Shepherd program, helping us advance our mission of using drones to counter poaching of elephants and rhinos in Africa,” said John Petersen, chairman of the board of the Lindbergh Foundation. “We were extremely honored to present him with the Tingmissartoq Medal during this historic evening.”
