Merrit Linke, Grand County Commissioner on the right, recently earned the 2017 Emily Warner Field Airport Champion Award for his consistent support of the many economic development and aviation education and history projects at Granby/Grand County Airport throughout his years in elected office.

Commissioner Linke championed the amended name of the airport to Emily Warner Field in 2015 which honored America’s first female airline Captain and former Granby resident, Warner, and brought worldwide attention to our community airport. In 2016, the Colorado Pilots Association named Emily Warner Field their General Aviation Airport of the Year.

Linke encouraged the development of the Granby Airport Pioneers Wall of Fame which honors several Fraser Valley community leaders, Dwight Miller, Don Drake, and Morris Long. He promotes the award-winning Grand County Historical Association Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum.

Representing the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter (EAA) 1267, former “Boss” of the famed Navy Blue Angel precision flying team and Fraser resident, retired Admiral Denny Wisely, presented this important award to Commissioner Merrit Linke in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd assembled for the annual EAA aviation scholarship pancake breakfast and charity auction on Saturday, July 1.