 NAA Record March 2010
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NAA Announces International Space Station
As 2009 Robert J. Collier Trophy Winner
NAA announced at its Annual Spring Awards Luncheon that the International Space Station has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Robert J. Collier Trophy, "For the design, development, and assembly of the of the world's largest spacecraft, an orbiting laboratory that promises new discoveries for mankind a nd sets new standards for international cooperation in space."
The Collier Trophy will be formally presented at the Collier Dinner to be held on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
"We had a remarkably strong list of candidates, one that visibly impressed the distinguished members of the Collier Trophy Selection Committee," said Walter Boyne, Chairman of NAA and Chairman of the Selection Committee. "I believe that the International Space Station is a wonderful example of what the Collier Trophy signifies: Accomplishment, vision, and advancement in aerospace."
"We are very proud to receive the Collier Trophy," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "This prestigious award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of thousands of people around the world. With our intention to extend station operations to at least 2020, there are limitless possibilities for science and technological breakthroughs."
The International Space Station Team includes the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), The Boeing Company, Charles Stark Draper Labs, Honeywell Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, United Space Alliance, and United Technologies Corporation.
NASA immediately posted an announcement of the award on www.nasa.gov. "We are honored to receive this prestigious award," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate. "We're proud of our past achievements to build and operate the space station, and we're excited about the future - there's a new era ahead of potential groundbreaking scientific research aboard the station."
The International Space Station, shown here in a NASA photo taken by an STS-130 crew member on space shuttle Endeavour, is a joint project of five space agencies and 15 countries that is nearing completion and will mark the 10th anniversary of a continuous human presence in orbit later this year.
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."
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Greater Washington Aviation Open Golf
Tournament to Benefit Corporate Angel Network
The 22nd Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open is a golf tournament and auction to be held Monday, May 24, 2010 at Lansdowne Golf Resort in Lansdowne, Virginia. It promises to be a wonderful event that will bring the entire aviation industry together for a day of camaraderie, golf, and an opportunity to benefit the many cancer patients who are served by the Corporate Angel Network (CAN). To date, this tournament has raised over $1.5 million for CAN. For more information, to register, or to sponsor visit www.gwao.org.
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Most Memorable Records Honored at NAA
Spring Awards Ceremony and Luncheon
The seven "Most Memorable Aviation Records of 2009" detailed in the February 2010 issue of the NAA Record newsletter were honored at the NAA Spring Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on March 3, 2010.
Two of the records highlighted how these record-setting flights often raise money for worthy causes, giving them a higher purpose beyond the satisfac tion and honor of setting a record.
For example, nearly $1 million was raised for City of Hope cancer research in the Largest Freefall Formation (feminine category), when 181 women jumped from eight Twin Otter airplanes and a Skyvan in a special "Jump for the Cause" over Perris, California. Their jump on September 26, 2009 beat the previous record of a 151-person formation in 2005. The formation is shown here in a photo taken by Willy Boeykens.
More than $115,000 was raised for the Make a Wish Foundation over the past two years by a crew that was honored for Speed Around the World, Eastbound: 370 mph (jet engine airplanes weighing 6,614 < 13,228 lbs). Departing from Morristown, New Jersey on April 12, 2009, Jared Isaacman and Douglas Demko flew a Cessna Citation CJ2 around the world, making 14 stops before returning to Morristown on April 15, 2009. Their flight averaged 370 mph, beating the previous record of 279 mph set in 1991. The two had also attempted to set the record in 2008, falling short but still raising $60,000 for the Make a Wish Foundation that year.
"Both trips were the greatest times of my life, and raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life," said Isaacman in accepting the award.
One of the most remarkable records honored was for Greatest Payload of 176,450 pounds for jet engine airplanes weighing 551,155 < 661,386 lbs. After loading a Lockheed Martin C-5 M Super Galaxy with stacks of pallets totaling 176,450 pounds, Major Cory Bulris, USAF, and his crew departed Dover Air Force Base, Delaware on September 13, 2009 on a mission to set 41 world records. The payload record was the first of 41 records set during the flight, and it beat the previous record of 161,023 pounds set in 1993. Bulris and his crew are pictured here receiving their awards from NAA President Jonathan Gaffney. "It was a team effort," Bulris said in accepting the award. "We had a great time flying it." He gave credit to Lockheed Martin for modifying the engines to provide greater thrust to make the record-setting flight possible.
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A Day With The B-1 Bombers
When General Caroll "Howie" Chandler, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, joined NAA in November 2009 for the presentation of the Clarence Mackay Trophy (probably the most important and historic award given by the Air Force), one member of the four-member B-1 Bomber Crew of mission Bone 23 that was honored was unable to attend because he had returned to the Middle East on deployment.
Invited to make the trip to Ellsworth Air Force Base to present this fourth award, I jumped at the chance. (Actually, I invited myself - but that's a whole other story).
While they were exceedingly gracious and thankful for my making the trip and the presentation, the experience meant far more to me than they could imagine.
Working under pressures (deployment, readiness, scheduling, family) that we couldn't even imagine in our current lives, they were - from their commander on down to the great enlisted folks I had breakfast with -- incessantly optimistic, dedicated, and extremely proud of the w ork they do and the role they play in the security of the United States. (No, I didn't think they were faking it.)
It sounds trite and cliché - and I hate trite and cliché - but it was extremely moving and inspiring to get away from our great nation's capital and out into places like Ellsworth Air Force Base where real-life young men and women are working very hard under pretty difficult circumstances to keep our nation safe.
Sure wish I were 23 again.
Jonathan GaffneyNAA PresidentP.S. The photo shows me with Captain Louis "Salami" Heidema, 37th Bomb Squadron weapons systems officer and BONE 23 crew member.
| Elmer Gleske Dies at Age 79
Elmer G. "Al" Gleske, of Annapolis, MD, died on January 31, 2010 at age 79. He was a longtime member of the National Aviation Club (NAC) and served on its Board of Governors when NAC merged with NAA in 2003 and continued to serve on the NAA/NAC Awards and Events Board until 2009.
He received the NAA Elder Statesman of Aviation Award in 2005 for contributions of significant value he made to aeronautics during his nearly 50 years of service in the aviation industry. He spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force starting in 1955, serving in a variety of capacities, including flying 171 combat missions in Vietnam.
After leaving the Air Force, Gleske worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation before joining FlightSafety International as its vice president of governmental affairs, where he worked for 26 years. Through FlightSafety, he helped blaze a trail for the aviation training industry. Gleske will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on March 24, 2010.
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Air Sport Organization News
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Chris Needels Receives Highest USPA Honor
The United States Parachute Association (USPA) honored Chris Needels with the USPA Lifetime Achievement Award. Needels was honored "for almost a half-century of total commitment to USPA as a board member, officer, executive director, and skydiving museum trustee, providing unparalleled leadership, vision and lasting stability."
Needels, a long-time NAA Board Member, joined the Parachute Club of America (the forerunner of USPA) in August 1963, and became USPA executive director in 1994. He retired after almost 14 years as the chief operating officer. Now USPA Executive Director Emeritus, Needels continues to serve the skydiving community as a board trustee for the National Skydiving Museum.
USHPA Chapter and University Collaborate
To Help Paralyzed Persons Fly
ABLE Pilot, a chapter of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA), and the University of Utah Department of Mechanical Engineering have combined resources to develop technology that will allow persons with spinal cord injuries and paralysis (SCI paralysis) to fly paragliders with minimal assistance.
Paragliding is an opportunity for persons with a SCI paralysis to interact with his/her environment in new and exhilarating ways. The design team anticipates having a prototype ready for flight-testing in April 2010 and expects it to be available for competition flying at the Utah AAA Paragliding & Hang Gliding Sprints, an annual competition for paragliding pilots at Point of the Mountain in Draper, Utah, during the 2010 Memorial Day weekend.
AMA Club Su pports Great Cause
The Raleigh Durham Remote Control Club, a chartered club of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), sponsored a Fly-for-Tots event last fall. Each year this event grows in attendance as well as money raised, with all proceeds going to Victory Junction-a camp for ill children. The Fly-for-Tots gathering is a testament to how clubs can work with their respective communities to support a great cause. In the photo, Jason Noll flies his Aeroworks Extra 300 during a noontime demonstration at the Fly-for-Tots event sponsored by the Raleigh Durham Remote Control Club. (Photo by Jay Smith)
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ACONE Announces Winners of
Prestigious Cabot Award
Two nationally recognized aviation leaders, Eugene F. (Gene) Kranz and Joseph G. Gavin, will be the 2010 recipients of the Godfrey L. Cabot Award presented by the Aero Club of New England (ACONE) on June 11, 2010 at Boston's Seaport Hotel.
Both recipients played critical roles in the Gemini and Apollo space programs that landed the first men on the moon, and 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of the Lunar Landing.
Joseph Gavin was instrumental in the development of the Lunar Landing Module used by NASA. Gene Kranz was flight director for the Apollo 11 moon landing, and also the rescue of the Apollo 13 astronauts. Actor Ed Harris portrays Gene Kranz in the film, Apollo 13, which chronicles Kranz's struggle to devise the plan that would safely bring the ship and its crew home after the oxygen sy stem failed.
In other news, ACONE members enjoyed a casual cocktail reception on February 17, 2010 at the Papa Razzi restaurant in Burlington. Several new members attended and joined in the winter festivity. The Icebreaker is an annual event for ACONE, and gives members a chance for some hangar flying. Among those in attendance were (from left to right) Past President Reese Dill, current President Georgia Pappas and new member Christian Bailey.
Superstars of Aviation Help Aero Club of
Southern California Honor Veteran Pilot
 More than 300 Aero Club of Southern California (ACSC) members and guests, including many aviation and space stars, gathered to celebrate Robert A. "Bob" Hoover's receipt of the club's Howard Hughes Memorial Award February 4, 2010 at a banquet at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles.
Hoover, 88, became the 31st recipient of the club's prestigious annual award. A World War II combat hero, test pilot, and world-famous aerobatic performer, Hoover (pictured center) accepted the award's silver medallion from his old friends Neil Armstrong (pictured at left), first man on the moon, and Chuck Yeager, first pilot to break the sound barrier. (Photo by Joshua Barash)
Aero Club of Northern California Awards
Scholarships to Aviation Students
The Aero Club of Northern California awarded $1,000 scholarships to three San Jose State University (SJSU) aviation students. Amber Hartmannsson, Brian Hsu and Monte Miller received the scholarships at the club's rec ent Crystal Eagle dinner.
Hartmannsson (pictured center), competes with the SJSU Precision Flight Team and plans to pursue a flying career that will allow her to serve others, either with an air ambulance service or an aid and support organization. Hsu (pictured left), is also an active member of the SJSU Precision Flight Team and plans to start flight instructing upon graduation. Miller (pictured right), who is captain of the university flight team, will use the scholarship toward his advanced ratings. His goal is to be a corporate pilot.
AOPA Foundation President Addresses
Aero Club of Atlanta
Karen Gebhart, president of the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) Foundation, was the featured guest speaker for the Atlanta Aero Club on March 2, 2010. Gebhart's presentation addressed the challenges and opportunities facing general aviation and how individual engagement can help promote and protect our freedom to fly.
As president of the AOPA Foundation, Gebhart leads the organization's charitable giving arm. An active pilot, Gebhart's role is focused on improving the perception of general aviation, growing the pilot population, the preservation of airports, and safety education through ASF (Air Safety Foundation).
In other news, the club's recent awards dinner was a big success with 130 attendees gathering at the 57th Fighter Group restaurant. Darrell Collins of Kitty Hawk National Park was the featured speaker, and Debi Huffman was the recipient of the First Annual Epps Award.
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March Luncheon
Monday, March 29, 2010
Speaker:
Dr. Ashton Carter
Under Secretary of Defense (ATL)
Click here for more info.
April Luncheon
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Speaker:
The Honorable
Randy Babbitt
FAA Administrator
Click here for more info
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Call for
Nominations
Katharine Wright Award
Last call! Nominations must be received by March 31, 2010. This award is given annually to a woman 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. For more information and Nomination Guidelines click here.
Public Benefit
Flying Awards
The Public Benefit Flying Awards are a set of five national awards designed to recognize the significant contributions to the Nation of volunteer-based Public Benefit Flying and the outstanding work of the individuals and organizations engaged in this humanitarian activity. Nominations are accepted from March 1 - May 31, 2010. Click here for details and Nomination Guidelines.
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This month's featured member
organizations:
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Records Claimed
January 1-31, 2009 |
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AEROPLANES
Speed Over a Commercial Airline Route:
Orlando, FL to Atlantic City, NJ: 537 mph
Jason H. Ledbetter
Class C-1
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319
01/10/10
Myrtle Beach, SC to New York, NY: 469 mph
Eric Weiss
Class C-1
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319
01/26/10
Speed Over a Recognized Course:
Kona, HI to Kalispell, MT: 466.72 mph
Randall A. Greene & William B. Bertele
Class C-1.j, Group III (Jet)
Dassault Falcon 900
3 Honeywell TFE731
01/03/10
London, UK to Dubai, UAE: 540 mph
Errol G. Wuertz & Scott B. Schramm
Class C-1.i, Group III (Jet)
Hawker 4000
2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308A
01/17/10
Phoenix, AZ to Chicago, IL: 195 mph
John K. Rost
Class C-1.c, Group I (Internal Combustion)
Van's RV-10
1 Lycoming IO-540
01/31/10
Transcontinental, Round Trip: 173 mph
Jeremiah D. Jackson
Class C-1.b, Group I (Internal Combustion)
Van's RV-6
1 Lycoming IO-360
01/31/10
HANG GLIDER
Speed Over a Triangular Course of 200 km: 32 mph
Armand Acchione
Class O-2, Rigid Structure with Aerodynamic Surfaces, General
Aériane Swift'light
Forbes, Australia
01/29/10
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This Month's
Air Sport Link
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