Master Pilot

About the Book

Aviation is about consistent good judgment, and if you read John Hruban’s story, you realize that good luck is involved along with good judgment. Flying is about the basics. John Hruban taught sound basics. That is reflected in the number of Master Pilot Awards issued to his students in rural Merrick County. Johnny’s dedication explains the reason for the book: "I hope everyone will take the time to read it and keep it for future generations." Leaving the text in the hands of the museum will have the capacity to potentiate the publication far into the future. In addition, Hruban’s account is the story of Merrick County and its love affair with flying. Johnny was instrumental in the growth of aviation. He influenced so many other lives that he must be mentioned and recognized as a flying linchpin between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers.

About the Author

Master Pilot by Johnny R. Hruban is the third book of a Central Nebraska aviation trilogy and rounds out the museum’s trifecta. His autobiography encapsulates Johnny’s life story. It may start with motorcycles and cars but rapidly switches to flying and the godfather of Merrick County aviation, the eccentric Amos Sigfrid Bankson. Johnny unabashedly describes his quest for the following license upgrade and the flood of students he competently mentored. In contrast, he was raising a family and looking for the upcoming best flying gig. The story is intertwined with working as a florist and an authoritative five-year Federal job, earning Hruban the NTSB Outstanding Performance Award in 1989. During a phone call in 2012, while discussing this book, I told Johnny about the MPA and nominated him without hesitation. Ultimately, he was most proud of the prestigious and well-earned Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award presented to him in September 2013. Randall L. Lippincott Master Pilot