FAA honors Owatonna native with top pilot award posthumously
Alvin Carstensen, formerly of Owatonna, has been awarded with aviation’s most prestigious award posthumously. He died in 2020.
Jerry Carstensen encouraged his older brother, Alvin, an accomplished pilot, to reach out for the most prestigious award given in the aviation industry.
But displaying true humility, Alvin Carstensen declined by telling his brother he didn’t want to fuss around with such an award.
Now, nearly three years after his death, Alvin Carstensen will receive the Federal Aviation Administration’s “The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award”.
The recognition is the highest honor the FAA issues to pilots certified under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 61. Established in 2003, it consolidated the FAA’s many pilot recognition programs that existed at the time under one national standard, and was aptly named in honor of America’s first pilots, Orville and Wilbur Wright.
The award “recognizes individuals who have exhibited exemplary aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism and steadfast commitment for at least 50 years of piloting experience or 50 or more years combined experience in both piloting and aircraft operations.”
A 1955 Owatonna High School graduate, Alvin Carstensen made his first solo flight in 1953 at the Owatonna Degner Regional Airport. During summer breaks from college, he would operate as a crop spray pilot flying for Glen Degner, the fixed based operator of the airport at that time.
After college, Alvin Carstensen joined the U.S. Air Force as an Airman, Flying Cadet, and from there, he became a professional airline pilot for one of the major carriers.
He served as a captain and then was promoted to chief pilot and director of operations at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Alvin Carstensen maintained his Flight Instructor Rating after retirement and continued to give flying lessons and perform flight review check rides for other pilots, his brother Jerry said. He made many flights from Virginia, where he lived with his wife, Marie, to visit family, friends, and relatives in Owatonna.
Alvin Carstensen passed away on June 20, 2020. He was 83.
Alvin, who was the oldest of five children, was born on July 15, 1936, in Albert Lea. His love for flying began after his father, Hans, gave him an airplane ride when he was 3 years old.
“Ever since then, everything he did in his life was aviation-related,” said Jerry Carstensen.
His professional flying included many of the major aircraft, including the Boeing 747.
Upon meeting new people, Alvin’s first question was “Do you want to go flying?” He ended up having many flying buddies.
As part of the Master Pilot Award process, three letters of recommendation were submitted to the FAA.
“I have known him to always operate in a safe and professional manner in both piloting and aircraft operations, be of good moral character and an outstanding individual who was respected in the aviation community,” wrote Stanley Rasberry, a pilot from Lakeland, Fla.
Another pilot, Fred Wimberly of Callao, Va., wrote: “I knew Alvin for well over 20 years and highly recommend him for the Wright Brother’s Master Pilot Award. My only regret is that this award was not made while Al was alive to be honored in person.”
Jerry Carstensen also submitted a recommendation.
“Al was nine years older than me and through his example and encouragement I also began flight training and was able to obtain a commercial license and instrument rating in 1967,” Jerry wrote. “Every flight we took together was focused on safety and the things he taught me continue to stay with me every time I get in the cockpit.”
Jerry Carstensen added, “I admired and respected his airmanship and he set the bar high for me and many other pilots that knew and flew with him.”
The FAA will add Alvin Carstensen’s name to the Roll of Honor list published on the agency’s website.
“This is a nice award to end his career. Fifty years and no accidents,” said Jerry Carstensen. “I think he would be very proud and honored.”