NAA Record December 2009
|
|
2009 Collier Trophy Nominations Open
Winner to be Announced Early March The 2009 winner of the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy will be announced at the upcoming NAA Spring Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, to be held March 3, 2010. The winner will be selected the previous day by the 2010 Collier Selection Committee comprised of a national group of stalwarts of the aerospace industry. Robert J. Collier, the only son of Collier's Weekly publisher P.F. Collier, was an aviator, humanitarian, and sportsman. He recognized the worth and future of aviation and proclaimed the ideal that, "the flying machine should be unselfishly and rapidly developed to its ultimate potential for economic advancement in America." In support of his statement, Collier was the first person to purchase an airplane from the Wright brothers for personal use. Shortly thereafter, he loaned his aircraft to the U.S. Army for flight evaluations at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, which led to the first military orders for a flying machine. Elected President of the Aero Club of America (now NAA) in late 1911, Robert Collier felt an obligation to promote those aspects of aviation that would demonstrate to the public that the airplane was inherently safe and not particularly difficult to operate. To do so, he proposed to sponsor a trophy that ultimately became the Robert J. Collier Trophy. The original sculpture for the trophy was commissioned in 1910 with the intent to encourage the American aviation community to strive for excellence and achievement in aeronautic development. The list of previous Collier winners represents a timeline of aviation, as many of the awardees mark major events in the history of flight. The first was awarded in 1911 to Glenn Curtiss for developing the hydro-aeroplane and building a practical flying boat. In the decades that followed the award has come to represent the height of aeronautic achievement. Nominations for the 2009 Collier Trophy are now open. Nominations must be sent electronically and received at NAA by January 31, 2010. Click here for complete nomination guidelines and information. The Spring Awards event will also recognize the Most Memorable United States and World Aviation and Space Records of 2009 and will include the presentation of the Cliff Henderson Award for Achievement for significant and lasting contributions to the promotion and advancement of aviation or space activity. The Henderson Trophy, shown here, is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum |
NAA Luncheon Series Continues in 2010 The popular NAA Luncheon Series continues in January and February 2010 with two compelling speakers with important views and perspectives on the aviation industry. On Monday, January 11, 2010, Dennis Muilenburg, President and Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Defense Systems, The Boeing Company will speak. This $32 billion, 70,000-person business unit is a provider of integrated solutions to meet the enduring needs of defense, government, space and intelligence customers in the United States and around the world. Prior to his current position, Muilenburg, 45, was President of Global Services & Support, an $8 billion business providing global after-delivery support for military platforms and systems, and a broad array of defense and government services. (NOTE: This luncheon will be held at the Hyatt Arlington, an alternate location from the usual luncheon venue.) On Thursday, February 11, 2010, Dr. Ashton Carter, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics will speak. Carter has served in his position since April 2009, and he was previously chair of the International and Global Affairs faculty at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and Co-Director (with former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry) of the Preventive Defense Project, a research collaboration of Harvard and Stanford Universities. (This luncheon will be at the usual location - Crystal Gateway Marriott at 15th and Eads Streets, Arlington, VA.)
Each luncheon begins with a reception at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at Noon, and will adjourn by 1:30 p.m. The cost is $60 per seat or $420 for a table of eight. Registrations are due by the 5th of the month when the luncheon will be held. Click here to register online. Questions? Contact luncheons@naa.aero Season Table Sponsors for the NAA Luncheon Series include Aurora Flight Sciences, The Boeing Company, Cobham, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, DRS Technologies, GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and UTC/Pratt & Whitney. |
Choosing a Collier Winner At the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) we are humbled by our responsibility each year to pick a winner of the Robert J. Collier Trophy. This historic trophy - which is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC - is awarded annually "...for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, or safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year." Collier Nominations are being accepted now through January 31, 2010. On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, a distinguished selection committee made up of NAA members, aviation historians, and experts will convene in Arlington, Virginia to select the recipient. The announcement of the winner will take place the following day, Wednesday, March 3, 2010, at the NAA Spring Awards Luncheon. The Annual Collier Dinner, where the trophy is awarded, will be held on Thursday, May 13, 2010. Walter Boyne, Chairman of the National Aeronautic Association, will Chair the Selection Committee. He explains that "because the Collier Trophy constitutes a veritable timeline of aviation accomplishment and history in the United States, it one of the most important and timeless responsibilities of NAA. We look forward to the commencement of this process and the selection of a very deserving winner." I call the Collier Trophy "the greatest award in aviation," and this is certainly reflected in the long list of people, equipment, and accomplishments which have won it. We strongly encourage individuals and groups to understand the trophy's history, review the nominations process, and participate in the program. Please visit www.naa.aero (click on awards, Collier Trophy) for a full listing of the past recipients that have been selected since 1911 and how to submit a nomination.
Jonathan Gaffney NAA President
|
Air Sport Organization News
|
USHPA Launches New Website The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) launched USHPA.org at its fall board of directors meeting. The new site provides externally focused outreach and works as a partner to USHPA.aero. Visitors can browse feature articles about the sports, read testimonials from new pilots, and browse the event calendar.
USPA Seeks Competitors for Dubai Parachuting Championships Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is hosting the Dubai Parachuting Championships and Gulf Cup 2010 on January 6-11, 2010. The event's organizers claim the prize money of $230,000 is the largest amount ever presented in a skydiving competition. Competitors will use the famous Dubai Palm Island, shown here, as a landing site. The United States Parachute Association (USPA) is seeking competitors interesting in participating as part of a special U.S. Team. The event will include men's and women's 4-way formation skydiving, men's and women's accuracy landing, and canopy piloting. Only those who competed at the 2009 USPA National Skydiving Championships at Skydive Spaceland earlier this year are eligible. In addition, USPA can name a head of delegation, team manager and team coach, although it is not necessary to fill these positions in order to compete. Competitors may participate as a competitor as well as serve in one of the leadership positions. Those who are interested in participating or filling a leadership position may contact competition@uspa.org with any questions.
EAA Member Builds and Flies Replica of Lockheed P-38 Lightning When a new homebuilt appears on the scene, it usually creates a buzz in the aviation community. Instead, Jim O'Hara of San Angelo, Texas, is causing a sensation with his recently built airplane. Over the past 15 years, O'Hara (81), who was a professor in aeronautical engineering at Tulane University, has been hard at work designing, building, and now flying a two-thirds-scale replica of one of history's most popular airplanes, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. O'Hara, who learned to fly at age 62, completed his first cross-country flight from San Angelo to an EAA event in Fredericksburg, TX. After retiring from Tulane in 1994, O'Hara gathered all the information about the P-38 and set about building a scaled-down replica. He created his own blueprints with a computer-aided design (CAD) program. He fashioned all the parts of the airframe and, since the original P-38 only had one seat, O'Hara designed a small jump seat behind the pilot's seat so his wife, Mitzi, could ride along. | |
Aviation Legend Edward W. Stimpson Dies Edward W. Stimpson, a legend in the aviation industry, recently passed away in his home in Boise, Idaho. His monumental contributions to the aviation industry earned him the highest awards in aviation, including the National Aeronautic Association Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. Stimpson began his outstanding career as the head of Congressional Affairs for the Federal Aviation Administration under the Kennedy Administration. In 1970, he became president of the newly formed General Aviation Manufacturers Association. In that position he was instrumental in efforts that led to enactment of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. He later served as U.S. Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. Most recently, Stimpson served as the chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation. A champion of aviation education for more than 20 years, Stimpson served on the board of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where a residence hall and laboratory have been named after him. He is survived by his wife Dorothy. |
Wichita Aero Club to Launch First Annual "On-Air Summit" Wichita Aero Club members can often be found in the air, but this month a new club event will also be on the air, in the form of a special "On-Air Summit" that will be streamed over the Internet. (OK, the Internet is not technically on the airwaves but you get the idea!) The summit will be an extended part of the program for the Aero Club Monthly Luncheon to be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at the Wichita Airport Hilton from 11:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. and will include a top management panel featuring the senior executives of locally-based airframe manufacturers and moderated by Flying magazine editor Mac McClellan. Anyone interested in watching the event live on the Internet can do so at http://accordent.powerstream.net/008/00165/WAC/msh.htm.
Aero Club of Southern California Awards Annual Scholarships Eight scholarships were awarded in November 2009 by the Aero Club of Southern California (ACSC) to high school and college students preparing for careers in aviation and aerospace. Selection for these scholarships is made annually by an ACSC committee from applicants whose academic records are judged as outstanding. Also, the Club's board of directors re-elected Nissen Davis as president and Jim Ragsdale as vice president for 2010. Alan Wayne was elected secretary.
ACONE Celebrates Gala 25th Anniversary Auction The Aero Club of New England (ACONE) celebrated its Gala 25th Anniversary Auction on November 6, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel in Bedford, MA. This year, Anne Baddour, (shown here) former ACONE Board Member and long time Gold Level Member of NAA, was honored for starting the auction in 1984. She was also recognized for her continued dedication to sustaining the auction over the years. ACONE congratulated Anne for initiating the auction to assist New England students embarking on careers in the aviation industry. Since then, ACONE has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to more than 180 well-deserving students in the area. Almost $12,000 was raised at the auction this year and will enable ACONE to provide additional financial assistance to students in 2010. ACONE's Scholarship Program awards more than 12 scholarships annually for students enrolled in pilot and maintenance training schools and colleges in New England. These funds help train the aviation workforce of the future.
| |
|
|
January 11, 2009 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM NAA Monthly Luncheon Arlington Hyatt Hotel (alternate location from our usual hotel) Featuring Dennis Muilenberg, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Click here for more info.
February 11, 2010 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM NAA Monthly Luncheon Featuring Dr. Ashton Carter, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Click here for details
|
Final Reminder NAA Annual Meetings
Date: Friday, December 11, 2009 Times: 9:30 a.m., Membership Meeting 10:00 a.m., Board Meeting Location: Hogan & Hartson Offices Columbia Square, 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington, DC. Click here for directions
|
This month's featured member organizations:
|
2010 Board of Directors Nomination Slate The NAA Nominating Committee's slate of 15 returning and seven new members for election to the 2010 Board of Directors is available online; the NAA membership will vote on this slate at their Annual Meeting on December 11, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at the offices of Hogan and Hartson, Columbia Square, 555 Thirteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. Members wishing to attend should register by emailing nsack@naa.aero. Further information and directions will be given upon registration. |
Records Claimed September 1-31 2009 |
AEROPLANES
Speed Over a Recognized Course: Lisbon, Portugal to Berlin, Germany: 506 mph Berlin, Germany to Milan, Italy: 490 mph Milan, Italy to Bahrain: 543 mph Bahrain to London, UK: 484 mph Robert P. Blouin & Michael Shane Reese Class C-1.i, Group III (Jet) Hawker 4000 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308A 10/08-12/09
Kinston, NC to Asheville, NC: 154 mph William E. Hood Class C-1.b, Group I (Internal Combustion) Van's RV-6A 1 Lycoming O-360 10/20/09
Toluca, Mexico to Paris, France: 573.79 mph Yves J. Tessier & David Ure Class C-1.l, Group III (Jet) Bombardier BD-700 Global Express XRS 2 BMW Rolls-Royce BR710 10/26/09
HELICOPTERS
Highest Takeoff: 14,108 feet Mark D. Young Class E-1.b, Group I (Piston) Robinson R44 Raven II 1 Lycoming O-540 Pikes Peak, CO 10/12/09
Highest Takeoff: 11,056 feet Mark D. Young Class E-1.c, Group I (Piston) Robinson R44 Raven II 1 Lycoming O-540 Uncompahgre Wilderness, CO 10/12/09
Speed Over a 500 km Closed Course (Without Payload): 128 mph Mark D. Young Class E-1.b, Group I (Piston) Robinson R44 Raven II 1 Lycoming O-540 Montrose, CO 10/13/09
Speed Over a 500 km Closed Course (Without Payload): 126 mph Mark D. Young Class E-1.c, Group I (Piston) Robinson R44 Raven II 1 Lycoming O-540 Montrose, CO 10/13/09
Speed Over a 100 km Closed Course (Without Payload): 132 mph Mark D. Young Class E-1.c, Group I (Piston) Robinson R44 Raven II 1 Lycoming O-540 Montrose, CO 10/13/09
PARACHUTES
Longest Sequence: 45 formations Gary B. Beyer, Christopher I. Bobo, Eric Boyd, Thomas D. Hughes & Shannon T. Pilcher Class G-2-C, Team, Competition, Freefall Style, General Rosharon, TX 10/14/09
|
This Month's Air Sport Link
|
|
|