The four finalists include:

• MagniX for magni650 Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU)
• NASA, University of Arizona, and Lockheed Martin for the OSIRIS-REx Team
• Reliable Robotics for Advanced Autonomous Flight Systems
• U.S. Air Force for the X-62A ACE Team

Amy Spowart, president and CEO of the NAA, emphasized the organization’s commitment to recognizing outstanding contributions to aviation and aerospace.

“The Collier Trophy, bestowed since 1911, is the story of aviation innovation and advancement,” Spowart said.

• READ MORE: Webb Space Telescope Team Earns Collier Trophy

The final round of the Collier Trophy selection process is set for March 21 in Washington, D.C. Each finalist will present their nomination, accompanied by visual aids and presentation slides, followed by a Q&A session with the selection committee.

Spowart expressed anticipation to see who will be honored as the 2023 Collier Trophy recipient.

For additional details and a comprehensive list of Collier Trophy honorees, visit the NAA website.

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Look Ma, no hands! Garmin Aviation has reason to celebrate and reflect in a very satisfying way upon the decade of effort it made to bring the first autonomous landing system for light aircraft to fruition. On June 3, the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced that Garmin’s Autoland system has won the 2020 Robert J. Collier Trophy, demonstrating “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year,” as noted on the NAA site.

The Collier Trophy dates back to 1911, and it honors in 2020 the “… designing, developing, and fielding Garmin Autoland—the world’s first certified autonomous system that activates during an emergency to safely control and land an aircraft without human intervention,” according to the NAA press release. Other contenders for the award illuminate the tough competition in the field for 2020: the Bell V-280 Valor, Boeing’s Confident Travel Initiative, Reliable Robotics Remotely Operated Aircraft System (ROAS), SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon 2, the US Department of the Air Force Green Propellant Infusion Mission Team, and Yates Electrospace Corporation’s Silent Arrow.

“The Garmin Autoland system marks a significant improvement in civil aviation,” said NAA chairman Jim Albaugh. “Its ability to take over an airplane with a disabled pilot and land it safely will save many lives in the future. It’s a remarkable technical achievement and clearly merits the Collier Trophy.”

The revolutionary system had relatively humble beginnings, according to Garmin: “Autoland began as a simple exploration to develop automation technology for general aviation aircraft,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and CEO. “This exploration resulted in the first automated system that can safely fly and land an aircraft in an emergency without human intervention. It is a tremendous honor for Autoland to be recognized as one of the greatest achievements in aviation history. We owe this accomplishment to the many Garmin associates who dedicated themselves to creating this game-changing aviation safety technology.”

Garmin worked in concert with partners at several aircraft OEMs to bring the system to life, including the first FAA certification with Piper Aircraft’s M600/SLS Halo, the first EASA certification with Daher’s TBM 940 HomeSafe, and the first jet certification in Cirrus Aircraft’s Vision Jet Safe Return.

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Each year, the National Aeronautic Association selects a list of innovative developments or products to compete for the coveted Collier Trophy. The list for 2020 represents a very diverse group of projects: a general aviation avionics product, travel initiatives, space developments, a green fuel, drones and a helicopter. Here is the list of nominees and some details for each.

Bell V-280 Valor

Built for battle, the V-280 Valor is a sleek tilt-rotor aircraft capable of vertical lift. Designed for special ops, attack, medevac and other utility missions, the Valor can go from a hover to a top speed of 280 knots, while covering a range of up to 500 nm.

Boeing Confident Travel Initiative

With SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, taking a massive toll on the airline industry, Boeing stepped up to provide multiple solutions to help minimize the risk of the virus spreading in the cockpit and cabin. The aviation giant’s Confident Travel Initiative has made the confined spaces of air transport aircraft safer than grocery stores and restaurants, according to a Harvard study, through solutions such as virus killing UV wands, anti-microbial coatings, filtration systems, airflow patterns, disinfecting solutions and more.

Garmin Autoland

Have you ever wished that the airplane you fly could land itself in case, for whatever reason, you become incapacitated or you find yourself in IMC with no way out? Now you can. Garmin’s autoland system, Autonomí is activated with a quick push of a button. The system finds the nearest suitable airport and calculates a flight plan there, avoiding terrain and adverse weather. The system then tracks the airplane along the planned path and lands it on the runway.

Reliable Robotics Remotely Operated Aircraft System (ROAS)

Since 2017, Reliable Robotics has worked to put automation into aircraft with the ultimate goal of expanding the air transport network through smaller, automated aircraft that transport fewer people and lighter cargo loads to small, remote airports. The company has already achieved remotely piloted flight of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk and 208 Caravan.

SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon 2

A revolution in space flight was achieved when SpaceX successfully completed return flights with its Falcon 9 rocket. Last year, the company took another step toward revolutionizing space flight by launching the first crew sent to space by a private company, carried inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon atop the Falcon 9 rocket. After that successful mission, SpaceX followed up with its first operational flight to the International Space Station in November.

U.S. Department of the Air Force Green Propellant Infusion Mission Team

In an effort to fight climate change while continuing space exploration, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base in California developed a low toxicity propellant for space propulsion systems. Since 2019, NASA, in collaboration with Ball Aerospace, has successfully tested the hydroxyl ammonium nitrate fuel/oxidizer blend, called AF-M315E, in various missions. The rocket fuel is not only cleaner, but might also boost spacecraft performance, NASA says.

Yates Electrospace Corporation’s Silent Arrow

With drone deliveries becoming a fact of life, the need for a variety of delivery systems will grow. Silent Arrow answers the call for larger payloads. The electric delivery system consists of a rectangular box with a tandem wing system that stores inside the box for easy transportation. The drone can be launched from helicopters and airplanes to deliver cargo loads to any location. Silent Arrow currently offers two sizes, the larger of which can transport up to 1,400 pounds of cargo at a very low cost. The Silent Arrow has already been deployed in military and humanitarian missions.

NAA’s Collier Trophy Selection Committee will meet virtually in June to determine the winner of the award. The Collier Trophy was commissioned in 1910 by aviator, humanitarian, and sportsman Robert J. Collier, to inspire the aeronautic industry to reach higher levels of innovation and excellence. Past Collier Trophy winners include legends such as Orville Wright, Howard Hughes, Glenn Curtiss and William Lear, and projects developed by NASA, Gulfstream, Boeing and Cirrus.

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The US Department of the Air Force and Boeing together have won the 2019 Robert J. Collier Trophy for the autonomous space craft, the X-37B. The Collier Trophy, awarded by the National Aeronautic Association, rewards the greatest of American aeronautical and astronautical achievements for the preceding year.

The X-37B completed a record 780 days on orbit, setting a new mark for endurance of the technology. The spaceplane made an overflight of the US prior to touching down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The “reliable, reusable, uncrewed space test platform” was produced by Boeing and is operated in a joint effort with the US Space Force, and currently managed by the USAF’s Rapid Capabilities Office.

“The X-37B team should be commended for their accomplishments over the last decade and more importantly for what they accomplished in 2019,” said NAA’s chairman, Jim Albaugh. “As the world’s only autonomous, reusable spaceplane, it continues to contribute to our understanding of both space and air flight.”

The Collier Trophy’s selection committee, comprised of 35 aviation and aerospace professionals, reviewed presentations from nine nominees and selected the X-37B team as the recipient on August 11.

“Underscoring the importance of space to the nation, the Collier Trophy celebrates the record-setting mission of the X-37B,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett in a Boeing press release. “Most Americans use space daily for navigation, information, and communication. Sophisticated and uncrewed, the X-37B advances reusable spaceplane technologies and operates experiments in space that are returned for further examination on Earth.”

Joining Secretary Barrett in accepting the award, Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said, “We are truly honored that the women and men of the X-37B team are being recognized with the Collier Trophy. Not only have they earned a place among our industry’s legends through their commitment to innovation and performance, but their accomplishments will influence the next generation of space and aerospace development for the benefit of all humanity.”

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The National Aeronautic Association announced that the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS) Team is the recipient of the 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy for “successfully completing a rapid design, integration and flight test of critical, lifesaving technology for the worldwide [Lockheed Martin] F-35 fleet.”

The Collier Trophy is awarded annually “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.”

“I am so proud of the entire Auto GCAS Team and their commitment and dedication to saving lives through this revolutionary technology,” said Mark Wilkins, senior aviation safety analyst, Office of Secretary of Defense for Personnel Readiness and Safety. “We are truly honored to be recognized with such a prestigious award and deeply humbled considering the aviation greats who won previously.”

As the name implies, Auto GCAS technology using automation to prevent an F-35 from hitting the ground.

“I want to congratulate the Auto GCAS team on winning the 2018 Collier Trophy,” said Greg Principato, NAA president and CEO. “The Collier Trophy was established more than a century ago to encourage the best minds in this country to continually find ways to advance and improve aviation. The Auto GCAS team, which includes Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Air Force, the F-35 Joint Program Office, NASA and the Defense Safety Oversight Council, is a sterling example of a project that brought together the best minds from many disciplines. The result is a game-changing advance in safety that has already changed military aviation and can one day change the game for everyone.”

The Collier Trophy Selection Committee, comprised of 30 aviation and aerospace professionals, convened on April 4, 2019 to hear presentations from 11 nominees. This year’s Collier nominees also included the Bell V-280 Valor, Boeing T-X, Draken International Contracted Close Air Support & Adversary Air Services in Support of Combat Readiness Training, Embraer E190-E2, F-35 Integrated Test Force, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Integration of Large UAS into Civil and International Airspace, NASA/JPL Mars Cube One (MarCO) Project Team, Perlan Project, Responsive Environmental Assessment Commercially Hosted (REACH) Project and Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two Program.

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Nominees for the 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy comprise a large field of contenders from a diverse array of aviation and aerospace entities, with a total of 11 nominees vying for the prestigious annual award this year.

Nominees for 2019 include the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS), Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor, Boeing T-X jet trainer, Draken International Contracted Close Air Support & Adversary Air Services in Support of Combat Readiness Training, Embraer E190-E2, F-35 Integrated Test Force, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Integration of Large UAS into Civil and International Airspace, NASA/JPL Mars Cube One (MarCO) Project Team, Perlan Project, Responsive Environmental Assessment Commercially Hosted (REACH) Project and the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two Program.

Last year’s winner was the Cirrus SF50 Vision personal jet. Each year the National Aeronautic Association based in Washington, D.C. awards the prize for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.” NAA recently clarified its rules to say that non-U.S. companies may be considered for the award as long as their projects are done in the United States. Cirrus is owned by Chinese government-controlled China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), but the Vision Jet was designed, tested and built in America.

The Collier Trophy winner will be announced this spring.

Nominees for the 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy comprise a large field of contenders from a diverse array of aviation and aerospace entities, with a total of 11 nominees vying for the prestigious annual award this year.

Nominees for 2019 include the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS), Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor, Boeing T-X jet trainer, Draken International Contracted Close Air Support & Adversary Air Services in Support of Combat Readiness Training, Embraer E190-E2, F-35 Integrated Test Force, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Integration of Large UAS into Civil and International Airspace, NASA/JPL Mars Cube One (MarCO) Project Team, Perlan Project, Responsive Environmental Assessment Commercially Hosted (REACH) Project and the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two Program.

Last year’s winner was the Cirrus SF50 Vision personal jet. Each year the National Aeronautic Association based in Washington, D.C. awards the prize for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.” NAA recently clarified its rules to say that non-U.S. companies may be considered for the award as long as their projects are done in the United States. Cirrus is owned by Chinese government-controlled China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) division of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), but the Vision Jet was designed, tested and built in America.

The Collier Trophy winner will be announced this spring.

The post Collier Trophy Nominees Announced appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Collier Trophy is awarded each year by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.”

The selection committee for the Collier Trophy involves 25 aviation and aerospace professionals. This year included nine nominees, which presented their achievements to the committee. Cirrus was selected for “designing, certifying, and entering-into-service the Vision Jet – the world’s first single-engine general aviation personal jet aircraft with a whole airframe parachute system.”

The 2017 Collier Trophy will be the 106th one handed over to a deserving organization. The award will be presented at the annual Robert J. Collier Trophy dinner on June 14 in Washington, D.C.

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