Belt of Orion

History of Belt of Orion

The Belt of Orion Award for Excellence was founded by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1988 to honour organizations, groups, societies or associations who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of aviation in Canada.

Descriptions of these organizations are available by following the links below.

Orion, the son of Neptune, according to Greek Mythology, was a handsome and energetic hunter who possessed the power to walk through the sea and on its surface. Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt, fell in love with Orion, but her twin brother, Apollo, was jealous and sent a scorpion to kill him. In her sorrow and remorse for his death, Artemis placed him in the sky as a constellation.

Orion, the Great Hunter, is a brilliant constellation, second to the Big Dipper on the roster of major constellations. It straddles the celestial equator, and is outlined by a quadrilateral of three brilliant stars--Betelgeuse, Bellatrix and Rigel, and one of lesser magnitude. Inside the quadrilateral are three second-magnitude stars forming the Belt of Orion. The three stars of the Belt point south-eastward to Sirius, the brightest star of the heavens.

Belt of Orion Awards for Excellence - Recipient Profiles

• 1988 Canadian Air Line Pilots Association (CALPA)
• 1989 Air Cadet League of Canada
• 1990 Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
• 1991 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation and Fire Management Branch
• 1992 Not Awarded
• 1993 Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA)
• 1994 431 Air Demonstration Squadron - CF Snowbirds
• 1995 Canadian Ninety-Nines (Organization of Women Pilots)
• 1996 Not Awarded
• 1997 Not Awarded
• 1998 Canadian Forces Search & Rescue (SAR)
• 1999 British Columbia Aviation Council
• 2000 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Air Division
• 2001 Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS)
• 2002 Canadian Aviation Artists Association (CAAA)
• 2003 Not Awarded
• 2004 Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI)
• 2005 Aerospace Engineering & Test Establishment (AETE)
• 2006 International Aviation Management Training Institute (IAMTI)
• 2007 Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA)
• 2008 Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM)
• 2009 Not Awarded
• 2010
• 2011 Hollinger Ungava Transport
• 2012 Leavens Aviation Inc.