Betsy Aurnou stands next to a historic telephone pole and lines in the corridor of the inner canyon. She is the winner of the 2023 NPS Wright Brothers National Aviation Safety Award. (NPS Photo)
GRAND CANYON — Grand Canyon National Park congratulates U.S. Park Ranger Elizabeth “Betsy” Aurnou as the 2023 winner of the National Park Service (NPS) Wright Brothers National Aviation Safety Award.
Aurnou was nominated by her team for her diligence and leadership in removing hazardous and historic telephone lines from the main flight corridor in the park. Since 2020, she has worked collaboratively with many divisions to facilitate the removal of sections of telephone line from challenging and technical terrain within the inner canyon. During the 2023 season, Aurnou helped facilitate the removal of hundreds of yards of telephone lines after learning of the dangers of the existing lines to pilots and aircrews.
Grand Canyon National Park has one of the busiest non-military federal aviation programs in the United States, yet no one had undertaken this complicated effort. Previously, hazard identification and avoidance were the park’s primary means to avoid aviation collisions with the almost invisible telephone lines.
“We are proud to recognize Betsy’s leadership and commitment to safety in the Grand Canyon Fire and Aviation Program,” stated Grand Canyon Superintendent Ed Keable. “She is fully deserving of this award and continues to motivate her peers in increasing the safety of aviation operations in the Corridor of the inner canyon.”
The NPS Wright Brothers National Aviation Safety Award recognizes an individual or organization within the NPS at the park, regional or national level who proactively promotes an open-minded attitude in the prevention of aviation mishaps and accidents, works diligently to correct and improve aviation safety deficiencies and communicates the actions and results to others.
Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.