Tournament of champions! That’s how we regard the annual ‘Pilots and Drivers’ golf tournament, organized by the Granite State Airport Management Association – GSAMA and held on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 at the Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth, N.H.
This year’s outing raised an astounding $7,960 to support the Aviation Museum’s student plane-building program, which is now active in three high schools across the state. The tournament also raised funds to support the purchase of a soaring flight simulator by the Franconia Soaring Center in Franconia, N.H. as well as construction projects in airports around the state.
Joining in the tournament were the Aviation Museum’s fearsome foursome, otherwise known as the “Noctural Aviation Golf Associates”: volunteer Al Goetz, Gary Johnson, the museum’s ‘chief sim guy,’ and fellow golfers Rich Christian and Chris True. The group achieved a third place finish in this year’s tournament!
Also helping out at the tournament were Visitor Services Specialist Christine Bates and volunteer Sheila Dunbar.
The high school student plane-building program is a partnership between the Aviation Museum, non-profit Tango Flight, and schools in Manchester, Lebanon, and Farmington, N.H.
Thanks to our friends at GSAMA for all they do to support aviation in New Hampshire, and especially to help provide opportunities for young people to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace!
Check out the gallery below for images from his year’s tournament:
Archive: Scenes from the 10th Annual Pilots and Drivers Golf Tournament, held Sept. 26, 2025:
