An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Order of Daedalians

The Daedalians are a fraternal order of military aviators.  The organization was formed in 1934 to honor the WWI pilots who were first fly in defense of our country.  Today the Daedalians are a professional organization that honors all who have flown in defense of our country and counts among its objectives promoting the rewards of a career in military aviation to young Americans; encouraging improvements in flight safety, weapons development and combat support; and recognizing exceptional performance by military aviators.

There are approximately 11,000 Daedalians in 74 flights across the U.S. and Europe.  Membership is open to active duty, retired, or former military pilots from any service as well as navigators, air battle managers, naval flight officers, flight surgeons, and RPA pilots.

https://daedalians.org/about/

Old Pueblo Flight 12

Davis-Monthan AFB is home to the Daedalian’s Old Pueblo Flight 12.  The flight stood up in 1963 with 53 members across three states – Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.  Among the original members was Senator Barry Goldwater.  Today the Old Pueblo Flight is a Tucson-based organization with 130 members.  The flight includes Air Force, Army and Navy members; numerous combat veterans; and three POWs from the Vietnam war.  The flight meets the third Thursday of the month (SEP – MAY) for a luncheon and military aviation speaker. 

The Old Pueblo Flight is actively engaged in realizing the objectives of the National Order:

  • We annually present the prestigious “Pilot of the Year” award to a pilot chosen from a flying squadron at Davis-Monthan
  • We present scholarships each year to University of Arizona cadets in the Air Force, Army, and Navy ROTC programs
  • Each spring the flight provides the Daedalian Achievement Award to a JROTC cadet at 11 high schools across southern Arizona
  • The flight sponsors heritage projects that preserve military aviation history.  In 2019 the Old Pueblo Flight helped sponsor the return of the D-Day Doll aircraft, which dropped paratroopers on D-Day, to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
  • New in 2019, the flight is instituting the “Outstanding Mission Support Award” for a junior NCO whose work is key to the flying mission at DAVIS-MONTHAN.

2020 Heritage Project

2020 Heritage Project

For a third year, the Old Pueblo Flight has undertaken a Heritage Project in furtherance of one of the Order’s key objectives – “Honor those who have flown in defense of our nation.”  For 2020, the flight chose a project at Davis-Monthan’s 354th Fighter Squadron.  The Daedalian Flight installed a permanent granite marker in front of the 354th’s T-72 Main Battle Tank captured during Desert Storm. The marker was presented to the Bulldogs on 30 Oct 2020. 

Interested in joining an outstanding Daedalian Flight? 

Contact:

  • LtCol Jerry G. Bryant, USAF (Ret.), Flight Captain, Old Pueblo Flight 12 – jgbddb@cox.net
  • BGen Keith Connolly, USAF (Ret.), Membership Chairman –

    kbpacon@comcast.net

Pilot of the Year

Old Pueblo Daedalian Flight
2021 Pilot of the Year
Capt Joshua Stanley
55th Rescue Squadron

Outstanding Mission Support Award

This award from the Old Pueblo Daedalian Flight recognizes that making the flying mission happen extends well beyond the confines of the cockpit.  In fact, it begins with a chain of effort, populated by a professional cadre of junior NCOs who invest hours of work in advance of every sortie.  The award is one way the Old Pueblo Flight achieves one of the objectives of Daedalians – to encourage and recognize improvements in combat support and overall effectiveness of air power.

On 16 Nov 2020, Lt Col Jerry G. Bryant, USAF (Ret.), Flight Captain of the Old Pueblo Flight, presented the 2020 Outstanding Mission Support Award to SSgt Scott Luff, 755th AMXS.   SSgt Luff, a crew chief supporting EC-130H Compass Call Aircraft, received this recognition for his performance at Davis-Monthan and while deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in support of Operations Freedom Sentinel and Spartan Shield. Well Done!