NAA Record October 2010
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Major Award Winners to be Honored November 8 at NAA Fall Awards Banquet
NAA will present several major awards and recognize recent aviation record setters at the annual NAA Fall Awards Banquet, to be held November 8, 2010 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. and dinner starts at 7:00 p.m. The following will be present to receive their awards: - 2009 FAI Gold Medal Winners Barron Hilton and Elon Musk
- 2009 Mackay Trophy Winners--USAF Crew of Pedro 16
- 2010 Elder Statesmen of Aviation Awardees Gene Krantz, Charles Metcalf, Robert Taylor and Barry Valentine
- 2010 Katharine Wright Award winner MSgt Kimberly L. Muhlecke
- US National and World Record Setters
- Lisa Bacon of AIAA and the Air Force Association receiving NCASE's 2010 Dr. Mervin Strickler, Jr. Award
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Aviation Advocate Harrison Ford to Receive Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy
| Harrison Ford |
NAA announced that aviation advocate Harrison Ford will receivethe prestigious 2010 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. The citation defining his achievement will read: "For engaging our nation's youth in aviation and inspiring tomorrow's leaders, innovators and enthusiasts to secure a strong future for all of aviation." NAA established this award in 1948 to honor the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright. The trophy is awarded annually to a living American for "significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States." While Ford is primarily known for his on-screen achievements, the aviation community has been the beneficiary of his life as an aviator, mentor, teacher, humanitarian and an inspirer. Ford has parlayed his passion for aviation and his concern for its future, along with his humanitarian and educational efforts, into a motivational leadership role that has unquestionably advanced and invested in America's aviation's future. An avid pilot and active member of the aviation community, his unswerving passion for aviation, combined with his global respect and visibility, have provided both the opportunity and platform from which he has been able to make a significant impact on something very important to him - aviation's future. "All of us at NAA are very grateful for the work that Mr. Ford has done to advance the cause of aviation and aerospace in our nation," said NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney and the Chairman of the Selection Committee. "We are particularly proud to present him with one of the greatest awards in aviation as an acknowledgement of his efforts and his success." The Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy will be presented at the Wright Memorial Dinner on Friday, December 17, 2010, at the Washington Hilton Hotel. For more information on the award and past recipients, please visit www.naa.aero. For more information on the Wright Memorial Dinner, please visit www.aeroclub.org.
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Admiral Gortney Provides Inside View of 5th Fleet Operations
Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, who recently completed a tour of duty as Commander of U.S. Naval Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, gave an inside view of the 5th Fleet operations to kick off the NAA/NAC 2010-2011 Luncheon Series on September 28, 2010. Gortney, who now serves as Director, Joint Staff, was responsible for
| Vice Admiral William E. Gortney |
naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the coast off East Africa as far south as Kenya, supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, including overseeing the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and NSA Bahrain. He is a Naval aviator who has logged more than 5,360 mishap free flight hours andexecuted 1,265 carrier-arrested landings, primarily in the A-7E Corsair II and the FA-18 Hornet. He explained how the Navy built partnerships with 24 nations to support maritime security in the region through the CMF. "Global commerce is linked to global security," Gortney said. "The CMF counters violent extremism, disrupts terrorist networks, and conducts counter-piracy operations to protect the flow of commerce. It is also prepared to respond to environmental and humanitarian crises." He emphasized the importance of relationships with the 24 nations, saying, "Although forces can be surged when necessary, trust cannot be surged." He noted that 28-32 close air support sorties are flown each day in support of combat operations in Afghanistan from the aircraft carrier deployed to the Central Command area of operations, currently the USS Harry S. Truman, with Carrier Air Wing Three embarked. This represents 30 percent of the close air support sorties flown each day supporting OEF. "We are fighting and winning two wars, while preventing a third," Gortney explained. In terms of future needs, he said that the Navy could use "a medium-range unmanned aircraft that can take off and land from an Arleigh Burke destroyer." The luncheon series is strongly supported by several Luncheon Series Season Table Holders, including The Boeing Company, Cobham, DRS Technologies, EADS North America, GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Rolls-Royce North America, UTC/Pratt & Whitney, Aurora Flight Sciences, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation. |
Kranz, Metcalf, Taylor, and Valentine Earn Elder Statesman Awards Eugene 'Gene' Francis Kranz, Charles D. Metcalf, Robert L. Taylor, and Barry Valentine are the recipients of the 2009 Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman awards. The Elder Statesman awards were established in 1954 to honor outstanding Americans over age 60 who, by their efforts over a period of years, have made contributions of significant value to aeronautics, and have reflected credit upon America and themselves. The award was renamed in 2007 in honor of former NAA Chairman Wesley L. McDonald. This year's recipients will be honored at the NAA Fall Awards Banquet on Monday, November 8, 2010 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Kranz spent much of his career at the National Aeronautic & Space Administration (NASA), where he was Flight Director for the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing and led the "Tiger Team" for the successful return of the Apollo 13 crew, a performance that made him a co-recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Nixon. He has been the subject of several documentaries; the noteworthy ones being the 2004 Failure Is Not An Option, based on his best-selling book, and the 2008 Discovery Channel When We Left Earth. Kranz began his career in the U.S. Air Force in 1954 and flew high-performance jet fighter aircraft including the F-80, F-86, and F-100. Major General Charles D. Metcalf, USAF, (Ret.), is Director of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. His dedication and outstanding leadership during his 14-year tenure as museum director has resulted in a world class museum. He significantly expanded the museum's facilities and exhibits and has increased attendance to nearly 1.4 million visitors per year. Taylor's love of aviation began as a 12-year-old in 1936 when he took his first airplane ride in a Ford Trimotor. At age 18 he landed a job at Lockheed riveting on P-38 center sections and shortly after that joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served in the 6th Air Force in the Republic of Panama. In the 24th Fighter Squadron, Taylor was as a mechanic and crew chief on P-39 and P-38 aircraft. After his discharge from the Air Force, he was employed at various aviation jobs on the west coast where he worked on conversions for the C-54, North American FJ-1, XB-45, F-82, and Lockheed 10, 12, 18 and A-26. In 1953, Taylor founded the Antique Airplane Association (AAA) as a means of preserving and flying older aircraft as well as providing a forum for members to exchange information. Valentine has more than 40 years of aviation experience, encompassing several senior positions in government and industry, including Acting FAA Administrator. During his career, he contributed to key policy decisions and international harmonization in the aviation industry. Valentine is a former Air Force officer and a decorated fighter pilot. He is currently a Senior Advisor at The Wicks Group where he provides international consulting, assists with technical document projects, and serves as an expert witness in pre-litigation matters.
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The Most Enjoyable Night in Aviation
It's not often that so many aviation leaders, heroes, and honorees are gathered in one place as they will be for the annual NAA Fall Awards Banquet, to be held November 8, 2010 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. I call it "The Most Enjoyable Night In Aviation," when NAA will honor a number of extraordinary Americans for their tremendous accomplishments in aviation and aerospace. Highlights include:
- Barron Hilton and Elon Musk will receive the most important awards in the international aviation community as the recipients of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Gold Air and Gold Space Medal, respectively.
- Lieutenant General Phillip Breedlove will be on hand to present one of the most important United States Air Force Awards (and the second-oldest NAA award) -- the Mackay Trophy -- to the heroic Crew of Pedro 16.
- I will be joined by Susan Larson, President of the Ninety-Nines, for the presentation of the Katharine Wright Trophy.
- Our four Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman of Aviation recipients Gene Kranz, General Charles Metcalf, USAF (Ret.), Barry Valentine, and Robert Taylor - will be on hand to receive their trophies.
In a single event, Fall Awards represents a summary of the important, singular responsibilities of NAA.
Please try to join us on November 8th. It will be an inspirational break from e-mails, Blackberries, amendments, and conference calls -- and it will remind you of the tremendous diversity of accomplishments and people which make up our great industry.
Jonathan Gaffney NAA President and CEO |
Air Sport Organization News
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2010 USPA Nationals Comes to a Close
After two spectacular weeks of competition, the 2010 United States Parachute Association (USPA) National Skydiving Championships ended Friday, September 24, 2010 at Skydive Chicago. With beautiful weather for most of the first week, all of the formation skydiving, vertical formation skydiving and artistic events were completed by Friday, September 17, 2010. On the schedule for week two was canopy formation and style & accuracy. Despite multiple delays for low clouds and high winds, both events got in enough rounds to award medals. After a nail-biting finish in the accuracy event earlier in the week, the style event closed on the last day of the Nationals. James Hayhurst and Elisa Tennyson won the gold medals for both the individual style and individual accuracy events, making them the overall style & accuracy champions.
Sullenberger Calls Proposed Fatigue
Rules a "Step Backward" in Key Area
The Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) reports that Captain Chesley Sullenberger, a noted aviation safety consultant who made a successful emergency landing on the Hudson river in 2009, has spoken out against some proposed rules regarding pilot fatigue issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Sullenberger said, "These proposed rules not only fall far short of what is needed, they actually take a giant step backwards. And that is because the FAA proposes to INCREASE by 25 percent the number of hours airline pilots are scheduled to fly per day (with a two-pilot crew) from 8 to 10!
"Let me be clear: There is NO science that shows that flying more hours per day will cause less fatigue. And, unbelievably, the FAA proposal sets NO limit on the amount of flying time an augmented crew (with a third pilot) can be scheduled to fly. And it is apparent that these parts of the proposed rule are included only for economic reasons, and they fly in the face of all that we have learned in the last 30 years about how we should be solving the fatigue problem.
"As an industry, we owe it to our passengers to do for them the very best that we know how to do, and to have the integrity and courage to reject the merely expedient and the barely adequate as being, quite frankly, not good enough.
"That's what it means to be a professional, whether one is flying for fun or for a living."
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TSA Head Addresses Members of
Aero Club of Washington
Speaking at a September luncheon hosted by the Aero Club of Washington, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) head John S. Pistole said, "I want to sharpen TSA's counterterrorism focus through timely intelligence and cutting-edge technology, and I want to support TSA's workforce while challenging them to reach the highest professional standards."
Pistole announced to the aero club that TSA will expand the number of employees granted secret-level security clearances, thus making information about risks and threats more widely available within the agency. In addition, Pistole noted that the TSA has already allotted the $1 billion the agency was allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for aviation security projects. The funds are being spent on enhanced technology for screening of both bags and passengers.
Gaffney Speaks at ACONE Luncheon
| NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney (left) and ACONE President Dan Schrager. |
TheAero Club of New England (ACONE) had its annual seasonal kick-off luncheon at the Copley Plaza Hotel on September 23, 2010, in Boston, MA. President Dan Schrager presided over his first official meeting and welcomed NAA President and CEO Jonathan Gaffney, who recalled his first introduction to ACONE when he learned that it was the oldest aero club in North America, founded in 1902. Gaffney also mentioned the very long affiliation between NAA and ACONE.
Dean Edmonds, Past President of ACONE, also shared his enthusiasm about his recent second-in-command rating in the Pacific Prowler, B-25. Edmonds is mentioned in the September issue of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association magazine in a featured article about the plane.
ACSC Members Briefed On
History of Aviation Project
Aero Club of Southern California (ACSC) members received a briefing on a major new project to collect detailed histories of aviation in the state. Dr. Peter Westwick of the University of Southern California invited ACSC members at a September dinner meeting to contribute documents, photos, and oral histories of aerospace in California. The university is collaborating with the famed Huntington Library to compile such materials as a project of the Institute on California and the West.
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Henderson Award
Deadline: November 30
This award is given toa living individual OR group whose vision, leadership, or skill, has made a significant and lasting contribution to the promotion and advancement of aviation or space activity. Click here for details.
Stinson Award
Deadline: November 30
This 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. Click here for details.
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This month's featured member organizations:
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Records Claimed July 1 - July 31, 2010
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AEROPLANESSpeed Over a Recognized Course: Fort Lauderdale, FL to Sao Paulo, Brazil: 515 mph Ross D. Oetjen Class C-1.l, Group III (Jet) Gulfstream G550 2 BMW Rolls-Royce BR710 08/07/10 Wichita, KS to Cali, Columbia: 462.99 mph Wichita, KS to Sao Paulo, Brazil: 443.06 mph Cali, Columbia to Sao Paulo, Brazil: 468.89 mph Chris Walker & Kerry J. Swanson Class C-1.g, Group III (Jet) Learjet 60 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A 08/08/10 Savannah, GA to Sao Paulo, Brazil: 498 mph Eric S. Parker & Jaime Bahamon Class C-1.k, Group III (Jet) Gulfstream G450 2 Rolls-Royce Tay 611 08/09/10 MICROLIGHTS Distance in a Straight Line With Limited Fuel: 121 mi Chris Santacroce Bay City, TX Class R, Paraglider, Foot Launched, Solo, Thermal Engine, Male Gin Boomerang 7 08/11/10 PARACHUTES Longest Sequence: 24 points Travis J. Fienhage, Michael Malchiodi & Matthew Lewis Menzelinsk, Russia Class G, Competition, Freeflying, General 08/02/10
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This Month's Air Sport Link
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