The NAA called Schenck “a visionary leader and selfless humanitarian” who is dedicated to commemorating and celebrating the heritage of America’s military veterans and supporting the next generation of pilots.

• READ MORE: NAA , FAI Recognize Record Flights in King Air with Tamarack Aerospace Smartwing Upgrade

The NAA established the award in 2019 to honor outstanding individuals for their contributions to aviation or aerospace in the United States and efforts to promote public appreciation of the sacrifices made by members of the military. Bruce Whitman, an aerospace executive and philanthropist, was named posthumously as the trophy’s first recipient in 2019. 

“No one cared more about our industry than Bruce Whitman,” said Jim Albaugh, NAA chair. “He dedicated his life to service, and I know Bruce would be honored to know that this year’s recipient of the Whitman Trophy is James Schenck. James is someone who contributed so much to our military and our nation.”

During his military career, Schenck flew Black Hawk helicopters in Korea and trained other US Army aviators as a night vision goggle instructor pilot. He served on the Army Staff in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans and later served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army.  Schenk received the Legion of Merit for his contribution to the Army by overseeing creation of the $453 million Army University Access Online educational initiative.

• READ MORE: NAA Names McDonald Award Honorees

Prior to working in the Pentagon, Schenck taught economics and finance at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1988. He is also a 1996 graduate of Harvard Business School. He has received several honors for his support of the military including the Association of the United States Army’s John W. Dixon Award and the National Military Family Association’s Military Family Champion Award.

“Deeply impacted by the failed Iranian hostage rescue mission on April 24, 1980, when eight American service members lost their lives, I have been steadfast from that date forward in my commitment to our men and women who serve,” Schenck said. “I am forever proud of my military service as an Army aviator, and for the millions of other veterans who have worn the uniform of our nation. We can never do enough for the men and women and their families who keep us free. I am honored to receive this prestigious award from the National Aeronautic Association.”

Schenck will be honored and receive the 2024 Whitman Award at an upcoming event. Previous recipients of the Whiteman Trophy include author and WASP advocate Erin Miller, the U.S. Golden Knights, and record-setting pilot and U.S. veteran Ross Perot Jr.

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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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Public benefit flying includes medical transport, search and rescue, emergency response, pet transport, and environmental and conservation support. The NAA said the award recipients “combine their love of flying with the capabilities of general aviation to create a rewarding and valuable part of the aviation story.”

• READ MORE: NAA Names McDonald Award Honorees

The following are the award categories and this year’s winners.

Distinguished Volunteer Pilot: Dennis Phelan, a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight West and Earth Angel who has flown more than 880 missions transporting patients in need of lifesaving care.

Distinguished Volunteer: David Brubaker, founder of STEM Flights, an mentoring organization that encourages young people to pursue STEM careers. A former Air Force fighter pilot, Brubaker is known for his dedication to youth aviation education.

Teamwork Award: This award goes to all general aviation pilots who were involved in relief efforts on the island of Maui in Hawaii after this year’s deadly wildfires. Rainbow Helicopters represented the group and was recognized for its work transporting essential supplies to families displaced by the fires.

• READ MORE: NAA and ACA To Honor Pilots and Aviation Volunteers for Helping Those in Need

Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying: Jim Hesseman received this award in recognition of his work as a volunteer pilot and president of the Air Care Alliance, an organization that builds awareness of public benefit flying.

Champion of Public Benefit Flying: Lightspeed Aviation received this award for its support of volunteer pilots and charitable aviation. The company has raised awareness of public benefit flying through a variety of media and published materials including its book, Flying for Compassion.

“The selfless dedication of these people is remarkable, and their impact is staggering,” said Amy Spowart, NAA president and CEO. “From a child with a terminal illness to an organ that needs to get across the country for transplant to the movement of people escaping natural disasters, these pilots represent the best in aviation. It’s our honor to recognize them and share their impact for the recognition and inspiration of others.”

Members of the 2023 Public Benefit Flying Awards selection committee include Ed Bolen of the National Business Aviation Association; Linda Daschle, LHD & Associates Inc; Jenna Gerdes, Angel Flight Central; John Lunseth, a 2022 Public Benefit Flying Award recipient; Rol Morrow, Air Care Alliance; Greg Pecoraro, National Association of State Aviation Officials; and

Patty Wagstaff, Patty Wagstaff Aviation Safety LLC.

NAA said the awards presentation will take place in Washington, D.C., on a date to be determined.

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According to the NAA, as a founding board member of WAI, Bosco helped create multiple platforms to nurture, educate, and inspire future generations of aviators. She helped establish WAI’s Young Professional Advisory Group, Super Mentor Program, and  Jobs Connect platform. One of her largest and most impactful collaborations was with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for the online course “‘Leadership for Women in Aerospace and Aviation,” which has drawn more than 2,200 attendees. 

At the present time, Bosco serves as co-chair of the Aviation Accreditation Board International Industry/Educator forum. The group’s focus is to promote collaboration of industry and educators to cultivate the next generation of aviation and aerospace professionals.

“I am thrilled and honored to be the recipient of the Brewer Trophy,” Bosco said. “Throughout my career, I have loved sharing the excitement of opportunities afforded by aviation and aerospace with both career seekers and enhancers—in the hope that they will power our industry forward to even greater heights. So many past Brewer recipients have been lifelong friends and mentors and an inspiration for my own passion for aviation education. I am humbled to be included among this esteemed group of professionals.”

Said Amy Spowart, NAA President and CEO: “Few people in our industry have the drive and passion that Cassandra has. Her impact has created meaningful exposure and lifelong opportunities for all who desire a place in our industry, especially women and minorities. She is a staunch ally and friend of aviation around the world.”

H2: About the Brewer Trophy

The Frank G. Brewer Trophy. established in 1943,  is awarded annually to an individual, group of individuals, or organization for significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the United States.

The Brewer Trophy is under the care of the National Aeronautic Association, a nonprofit membership organization devoted to fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and to promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the U.S..

Among the past recipients are the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s You Can Fly program, aviation educators and founders of King Schools John and Martha King, and Women in Aviation founder Dr. Peggy Chabrian.

The selection committee for the 2023 Frank G. Brewer Trophy includes Frank and Robert Brewer and Jana Denning, NAA board of directors; Jim Gregory, 2020 Brewer Trophy recipient’, Susan Mallett, 2022 Brewer Trophy recipient; and Shannon Weidekamp, Equus Flight Academy.

The Brewer Trophy will be presented on a future date and location to be determined. More information and a complete list of previous recipients can be found here.

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About the 2023 Honorees

Feith, an aviation safety expert, has been recognized as a champion of best practices and advocacy encouraging aviation safety awareness, especially when it comes to CFIs training future pilots. He is a recognized, well-respected leader in instructor circles.

Leach, an aviation journalist and founder and CEO of Aviation International News, is being recognized for his tireless efforts that turned a small publishing company into an industry leader. His thoughtful, insightful prose takes complex issues, such as the effect of the global economy on aviation, and provides a level of understanding greatly appreciated by the aviation community.

Richmond, with the Academy of Model Aeronautics, began his career in aviation in 1932 as a boy making models. He has a lifetime of achievements winning model aircraft contests and indoor championships. Six of his airplanes have been named “plane of the year” by the National Free Flight Society. He holds 33 patents for mechanism designs related to engineering and has earned hundreds of aero sports awards, inspiring youth into aviation-related careers. He has served the U.S. as an aero sports competitor and in the military.

Stangarone is recognized for nearly five decades of experience as an aviation communicator and chronicler of aviation history. He has used his talents for Cessna, Embraer, Safire Aircraft, Fairchild Dornier, Litton, United Technologies (Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky) and Rolls-Royce North America. Today he serves as the chairman and president of the New England Air Museum.

“The history of aviation is marked by great people who have impacted the industry in extraordinary ways with their life’s work,” said Amy Spowart, president and CEO of the NAA. 

Previous recipients of this award include Chuck Yeager, Olive Ann Beech, Clay Lacy, and Majorie and Katherine Stinson.

• READ MORE: NAA Celebrates Those Committed to Aviation and Aerospace

“This award serves to recognize these remarkable people,” said Spowart. “This year’s awardees represent excellence in vital industry sectors. From safety to leadership and beyond, this distinguished group is excellence personified, and we are honored to recognize them and their contributions to aviation.”

The selection committee for the 2023 Distinguished Statesman & Stateswoman of Aviation Award are previous year’s award winners. They include: Jim Albaugh, NAA board chair; J. Randolph Babbitt, former FAA administrator; Cassandra Bosco, Stateswoman of Aviation (2021); Peggy Chabrian, Stateswoman of Aviation (2016); Julie Clark, Stateswoman of Aviation (2020); David Franson, Statesman of Aviation (2020); Jonathan Gaffney, Statesman of Aviation (2019); William Garvey, Statesman of Aviation (2018); Angela Gittens, Stateswoman of Aviation (2021); Michael Huerta, former FAA administrator; John King, Statesman of Aviation (2018); Martha King, Stateswoman of Aviation (2018); Richard Koenig, Statesman of Aviation (2012); Jean Lydon-Rodgers, Stateswoman of Aviation (2021); and William Shea, Statesman of Aviation (2022).

The National Aeronautic Association is a nonprofit membership organization devoted to fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and to promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight in the United States. In addition, the NAA is the caretaker of the most important aviation awards in the world and certifies all national aviation records set in the United States.

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But her most recent honor tops the list. Clark has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Katharine Wright Memorial Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association, the organization announced on Wednesday. The trophy is awarded annually in partnership with the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots to “an individual who has contributed to the success of others or made a personal contribution to the advancement of the art, sport, and science of aviation and space flight over an extended period of time,” according to the NAA.

Clark has demonstrated those qualities throughout her career in aviation and in service to the community. In addition to her professional achievements, she also serves as a mentor in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Women Soar program.

“The Katharine Wright Award means so much to me because I love to inspire and encourage young aviators,” said Clark in a press release from the NAA. “I know that Katharine Wright was a true supporter of her famous brothers’ endeavors and always put their activities ahead of her own. She was a real compassionate and loyal sister! How very honored I am to be selected for this amazing award.”

Said Robin Hadfield, president of the Ninety-Nines: “Throughout her life, Julie Clark has shown dedication, remarkable skill, and a passion for excellence. Her aviation journey stands as an example of what can be achieved when one combines talent with determination, making her a true inspiration to all.”

Clark previously received the Katharine and Marjorie Stinson Award from the NAA in 2008. The Stinson Award recognizes a living woman for an outstanding and enduring contribution, a meritorious flight or a singular technical development in the field of aviation, aeronautics, space or related sciences.

“From the start of Julie’s aviation career to the present day, she has constantly sought ways to lift and inspire others,” said NAA president and CEO Greg Principato. “Many talk about giving back. Julie defines the term. She is the definition of a Katharine Wright Trophy recipient, great in her own right and making all others around her better. It will be our honor to present the Katharine Wright Trophy to Julie Clark.”

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Kathy Warden, chair, president, and chief executive officer of Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) accepted the 2022 award on behalf of the company at the annual National Aeronautic Association (NAA) Collier Dinner.

“The James Webb Space Telescope is an act of collective genius,” said Warden. “Running towards the hardest challenges—proving what we can do together—is what we do every day. Webb has ushered in a new era in human discovery, and it is my privilege to accept this prestigious award tonight on behalf of our Northrop Grumman team.”

The telescope was launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket on Christmas morning in 2021. Over the next several weeks, the team made the Webb operational, unfolding its sunshield and mirrors in a series of complex deployments and maneuvers. According to the team, this was a first-of-its-kind event ever attempted in space, After achieving its final configuration, the team made a series of adjustments to bring the telescope’s optical train into precise alignment. The team then tested the scientific instruments, bringing them to operational temperature to begin Webb’s science mission.

The successful deployment was years in the making.

Since 1911, the Collier Trophy has been recognized as the highest achievement in aerospace and astronautics in America, recognizing the work of a team or individual for the previous year. Past recipients of the trophy include Orville Wright (1911), Howard Hughes (1938), Neil Armstrong (1969), the B-2 (1991), Global Hawk (2000), SpaceShipOne (2004), and the X-47B (2013).

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The group said its aircraft set an altitude record of nearly 16,000 feet for electric aircraft weighing less than 500 kilograms. According to an observer from the National Aeronautic Association, the previous mark was 10,000 feet.

Pilot Miguel Iturmendi has previously helped develop advanced, record-setting aircraft including the Solar Impulse, which circumnavigated the globe in 2016. Iturmendi said he recently flew the Helios Horizon aircraft to 20,000 feet, but without an official NAA observer, the record could not be validated.

The NAA, which oversees and validates record-setting attempts, plans to review data and complete the validation process before releasing an official report regarding the record.

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“The dream felt so real, but I wondered if falling really felt the same way,” she said recently, more than 22,000 jumps later.

As it turned out, Stearns had to wait until she was 17 to find out if reality matched the dream. That was when she joined a group of girls from her high school who were going for an introductory jump with the local parachute club.

• READ MORE: The High-Paced Atmosphere of Skydive Airports

“What I didn’t realize was that it would be a static-line jump, so there was no freefall. And that did not satisfy my curiosity,” she said. While the other girls headed home, Stearns stuck around. “I went back for more jumps, and kept jumping until they allowed me to freefall. By then I was hooked.”

While babysitting for 25 cents an hour to help fund her new sport, she also earned her private pilot certificate as a Civil Air Patrol member while working at the airport drop zone, packing parachutes and serving as a jumpmaster. It was the 1970s, and general aviation and skydiving were gaining popularity. Young people routinely worked odd jobs at airports in exchange for flying lessons—earning stick time to build hours.

“I was 19, naive as ever, living in a hangar, making 20 bucks a month and loving it,” Stearns said of the time.

She almost immediately became interested in competition, and excelled in style and accuracy contests. For style, the skydiver performs a series of flips, twists, and other figures during freefall. In her early days of competition, accuracy meant guiding her old-fashioned round-canopy parachute so precisely that she could land on a target just  10 centimeters in diameter.

“I’m a competitive person and I wanted to do more, so I set a goal to become national champion, and after that, to be world champion,” she said 

Some people laughed off her ambitions which, at the time, might have seemed beyond far-fetched. But, like many women involved in difficult, adventurous, or dangerous pursuits, Stearns was accustomed to being told she could not do certain things, yet accomplishing them anyway.

During her skydiving career (she is still jumping), she has won two world championships—in 1978 and 1994—along with 33 national championships, and she has set 30 world records. She spent two tours of duty with the U.S. Army’s elite Golden Knights parachute team after becoming the first woman to join the team in 1977. Stearns continued her military career with Army Reserve and National Guard units, retiring as a Master Sergeant after 29 years.

• READ MORE: A Double Amputee’s Journey to Freefall

While juggling skydiving stardom with a military career, Stearns attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Pope Air Force Base campus, where she received bachelor of science in aviation administration and master of aeronautical science degrees. In 1986 she began working for Piedmont Airlines, which became part of U.S. Airways, and later was absorbed by American Airlines. Stearns retired from American in 2019.

Last month the National Aeronautic Association presented Stearns with its Distinguished Stateswoman of Aviation Award in recognition of her accomplishments as a parachutist, pilot, and mentor. Stearns said receiving the NAA award “is a great honor,” and being nominated by the United States Parachute Association made the experience particularly special.

“It meant so much to me to be nominated by my peers. This is the group that has made such a difference in my life,” she said.

These days Stearns shares her aviation knowledge with cadets in the Shelby, North Carolina, Civil Air Patrol Squadron. She continues to perform demonstration jumps as a member of the Children of Fallen Heroes Skydiving Angels team, a non-profit organization.

She said she is working toward matching her jumps—just over 22,000—with her roughly 26,000 flying hours. She flies her Cessna 185 regularly, so reaching that goal might take a while.

The post Pioneering Skydiver and Pilot Looks Back on 50 Years Aloft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lunseth was recently surprised to learn that the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), in partnership with the Air Care Alliance (ACA), will be honoring him as a Distinguished Volunteer Pilot. The organizations’ 2022 Public Benefit Flying Awards recognize volunteer pilots, as well as other volunteers and organizations engaged in flying to help others—and those who support this work.  

For Lunseth, there’s more than one cookie in this jar.

On November 18, Angel Flight Central will honor the pilot—who is also a practicing intellectual property attorney—with its Lewis Young Pilot of the Year Award. According to the NAA, since 2011, Lunseth has flown more than 93 Angel Flight missions, donating the use of his aircraft—and fuel costs totaling more than $61,000—to provide non-emergency medical flights for health care and humanitarian purposes. 

Lunseth says as soon as he had logged the minimum 500 hours that Angel Flight requires to volunteer as a pilot, he signed up. “It looked like a fun thing to do as a way to help,” he says.

In his Mooney M20K 231, he says he has “hauled hundreds of pounds of donated blood and bone marrow,” breast milk to medically fragile babies, children with HIV to special summer camps, and patients. 

According to Lunseth, the relationships, albeit temporary, that he forms with his passengers are one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering. 

“In most cases, the patients are anxious, not so much about the flying, but about what’s going on with them,” he says. Many of the patients he’s transported are fighting cancer and going back and forth to chemotherapy treatments. “It’s a real ordeal for them and you see them slowly sinking, and we don’t win every time,” he says. “[But] you start a conversation and you spend two hours with them. And you hope that by the end of the flight, that they’re feeling a little bit better and they have a little more hope, and they have the feeling that there’s someone else on their side.”

Another thing Lunseth finds rewarding is knowing that the donation of his aircraft and his time goes 100 percent to the beneficiaries. For most nonprofit organizations, only a percentage of donations go directly to programs—and the other percentage pays for administrative and fundraising costs. “The real thrill of it is the gift goes directly to the person sitting in the right seat,” he says. 

Lunseth isn’t the only Angel Flight volunteer the NAA and ACA will recognize with a 2022 Public Benefit Flying Award. 

Turning the $100 Hamburger on Its Head

David Knies has also volunteered for Angel Flight. In his 20s, he chaired the Angel Flight Southeast Board. He’s also volunteered for Angel Flight Soars, Vital Flight, FlyQuest (a STEM education organization), and the ACA. The latter, a partner in the Public Benefit Flying Awards, helps refer patients and volunteer pilots to nonprofit flying organizations that provide free flights for medical and humanitarian purposes and lobbies for legislative support for their activities. Knies will receive the NAA/ACA award for Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying.

According to the NAA, Knies, has dedicated over half his life to flying patients for gratis and supporting the organizations that facilitate these flights. He owns a travel agency, a Cessna 210, and works as an office manager for Air Comfort Control, a residential air conditioning business in Huntsville, Alabama.

Knies says at one time he wanted to be a commercial airline pilot. While trying to build his flight hours in the late 1990s, he discovered Angel Flight Georgia and Angel Flight Southeast were looking for pilots. He was hooked. 

He says he most enjoys the flights that are difficult to schedule, whether because of the weight of the passengers and cargo, the range, or the route. “I view them as missed opportunities,” he says. “My fallback mission is to use my travel agency business and buy them an airline ticket.” 

Knies encourages other pilots to volunteer for public benefit flying organizations.

• READ MORE: Angel Flight Needs Pilots

“There seems to never be an end to the number of people who need help, but there always seems to be this finite number of people willing or able to help them,” he says. “I can’t be the only one that set out and said, ‘The $100 hamburger is getting old, I need to do something useful.’”

Knies, who serves on the ACA Board, says his desire to create more awareness surrounding the services offered by public benefit flying organizations—and the opportunities available for pilots to help—led to his involvement with the ACA. He suggests that those who need a non-emergency medical flight, and pilots who are willing to fly them, reach out to the ACA. 

Other 2022 Public Benefit Flying Awardees

In addition to Lunseth and Knies, the NAA and ACA will recognize:

Wayne Maynard – Distinguished Volunteer Pilot

Maynard, who has served as chair of the Angel Flight South Central Board of Directors since 2019, and is a CPA and a certified financial planner, “epitomizes selflessness in his unwavering commitment to charitable flying and helping others,” according to the NAA. “His devotion to taking on as many missions as possible, even during the most challenging of times, while offering compassionate care to his passengers, is inspirational.”  

Master Sgt. Michael Fontaine – Distinguished Volunteer 

An active-duty military liaison for Honor Flight San Antonio, Fontaine coordinated complete logistical support for two complimentary flights that provided war veterans all expenses-paid trips to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C., the NAA says. Fontaine also worked to secure funding for special events and honoree travel, planned and executed fundraising events, briefed personnel from various airlines and security agencies to promote and garner support for Honor Flight San Antonio’s mission, and established a recognition program for active duty military volunteers who dedicated time to honor our nation’s heroes, according to the NAA.

The National Business Aviation Association – Champion of Public Benefit Flying

“NBAA has long supported charitable aviation’s work by helping individuals and communities in need through business aviation and by telling the stories of volunteer pilots and other charitable aviation organizations,” the NAA says. Additionally, NBAA’s people give of their time, effort, and personal involvement to engage in public benefit flying, and have provided their facilities, publications, and other resources to substantially further all groups’ missions, the NAA says.

The 2022 Public Benefit Flying Awards will be presented on a date and location to be determined. For more information: www.naa.aero. 

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