Aviation Week Laureates Awards 2017-2024 by AviationWeek

AVIATION WEEK NETWORK’S LAUREATE AWARDS

As seen in Join the ranks of the most outstanding contributors to aviation, aerospace and defense.

A PRESENTATION OF WINNERS 2017-2024

NOMINATIONS CLOSE OCTOBER 25

WINNERS ANNOUNCED NOVEMBER 8

Awards Presentation and Grand Laureates

Announced March 6, 2025

Who will be next to join the industry’s most distinguished and esteemed celebration of leadership?

Aviation Week Network’s Laureate Awards have recognized the extraordinary achievements of individuals, programs and technologies in aerospace and aviation for over 60 years. The tradition continues as we celebrate accomplishments that embody the spirit of exploration, innovation and vision. These are the people that inspire others to strive for progress, change and leadership in aviation and aerospace.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2025 LAUREATES ARE OPEN

If you or your organization turned heads, generated excitement, demonstrated originality or otherwise inspired the industry, we want to hear about it.

SUBMIT A NOMINATION

Nominations must be received by October 25, 2024

The Laureate Awards will recognize leaders in defense, space, commercial aviation, MRO and business aviation. One winner that embodies the spirit of innovation and transformation will be awarded a Grand Laureate in each major category.

The Laureate Awards will also feature: Tomorrow’s Leaders and the 20 Twenties

Laureate for Lifetime Achievement

Laureate Award winners represent trail-blazers of the industry and will be honored on March 6, 2025 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Gain recognition for your accomplishments and submit a nomination today.

AVIATION WEEK’S 61ST ANNUAL

NEARLY 500 LUMINARIES PACKED THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM in Washington on March 1 for a sold-out presentation of Aviation Week’s annual Laureate Awards, continuing a tradition that goes back more than six decades. Editors from across the Aviation Week Network bestowed 26 previously announced awards in four categories: Commercial Aviation, Space, Defense and Business Aviation (AW&ST Feb. 12-25, p. 60). Then they revealed a “Grand Laureate” winner for each category. Also honored were two Lifetime Achievement winners and two-dozen top students pursuing aviation or aerospace careers: one from each of the four U.S. service academies and 20 from universities around the world (AW&ST Feb. 26-March 11, p. 54). Nominations for the next Laureate Awards will open in the coming months.

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Grand Laureate: Tom Gentile, president/CEO, Spirit AeroSystems, for leadership

Best New Product: MetaMaterial Technologies MetaAir Laser Strike Protection

MRO: Delta TechOps

Platforms: Boeing 737 MAX

Safety: Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST)/Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing Initiative

Supplier Innovation: Norsk

Titanium/Boeing

Technology: Airbus

SPACE

Grand Laureate: SpaceX, for launch operations

Leadership: Astronaut

Peggy A. Whitson

Operations: Indian Space Research Organization/Planet Labs

Platforms: ViaSat/Boeing Science: Cassini Mission/NASA

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

DEFENSE

Grand Laureate: U.S. Missile Defense Agency/Boeing Ground-based Midcourse Defense System, for operations

Best New Product: Logos

Technologies Redkite

Dual Use: Raytheon Coyote UAV

Electronics/Avionics: U.S. Navy/ Rockwell Collins Tactical Combat Training System Increment II

Supplier Innovation: Metro Aerospace C-130 Microvanes

Technology: Bell Helicopter V-280 Valor Unmanned Systems: Kratos UTAP-22

Weapons: U.S. Special Operations Command/Dynetics GBU-69/B

BUSINESS AVIATION

Grand Laureate: Pilatus PC-24, for best new platform

Best New Product: Foreflight

Customer Service: MedAire

Electronics/Avionics: Dassault/Elbit

FalconEye

Leadership: Edward M. Bolen, president and CEO, National Business Aviation Association

Technology: Tamarack Aerospace Atlas Active Winglet System

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

· John S. Langford, chairman and CEO, Aurora Flight Sciences

· Bruce Whitman, president and CEO, FlightSafety International

Video Learn about the careers of John Langford and Brue Whitman: AviationWeek.com/JohnLangford AviationWeek.com/BruceWhitman

TOMORROW’S LEADERS

· Chris Cantillo, midshipman 1st class, U.S. Naval Academy

· Benjamin R. Hook, cadet 1st class, U.S. Air Force Academy

· Kurt Michael Klinkmueller, cadet lieutenant, U.S. Military Academy

· Marshall Reyburn, 2/c cadet, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Defense

Space

Aviation Week military editors Lara Seligman (far left) and James Drew (far right) flank this year’s Defense Laureate winners. Norm Tew (left), vice president of engineering at Boeing Space & Missile Systems, accepted the Grand Laureate on behalf of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Boeing for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System.

Aviation Week & Space Technology Space Editor Irene Klotz (far left) and Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Editor-in-Chief Jefferson Morris (far right) join the Space Laureate winners. SpaceX’s Grand Laureate was accepted by Tim Hughes (right), the company’s senior vice president for global business and government affairs.

Commercial Aviation

Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-in-Chief Joe Anselmo (far left) and Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker (far right) presented this year’s Commercial Aviation Laureate awards and are pictured with the winners. Spirit AeroSystems President/CEO Tom Gentile (right) won the category’s Grand Laureate.

Business Aviation

Molly McMillin (far right), managing editor of The Weekly of Business Aviation, and Bill Carey (far left), Aviation Week safety and avionics editor, flank this year’s Business Aviation Laureate winners. Tom Aniello (left), vice president of marketing at Pilatus, accepted the Grand Laureate for the company’s PC-24 aircraft.

Tomorrow’s Leaders

The 61st Laureates event opened with Aviation Week and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) recognizing Tomorrow’s Leaders, two-dozen top students from universities around the world and the four U.S. service academies. This year’s honorees are pictured with Aviation Week Network President Greg Hamilton (second row, far left) and AIAA’s president-elect, Aurora Flight Sciences Chairman/CEO John S. Langford (second row, far right). From left, the service academy students are:

Cadet Lt. Kurt Michael Klinkmueller, studying mechanical engineering with a focus in aeronautical engineering at the U.S. Military Academy. He is the cadet in charge of the West Point Flying Team and won the Top Pilot award at the 2017 Inter-Service Competition. After graduating in May, he will commission as an Air Force officer and begin flight school.

Cadet 2/c Marshall Reyburn, ranked No. 1 in his military class and an active member of the Coast Guard Academy’s Aviation Club for the last three years. He conducted a semester-long research

project on the challenges of privatizing the U.S. air traffic control system and plans to take up a career in Coast Guard aviation after graduating in the spring of 2019.

Midshipman 1st Class Chris Cantillo, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in aerospace engineering and a minor in Spanish. He interned with the Navy’s fixed-wing developmental test squadron VX-20 and was selected to do research as a Trident Scholar. He will attend the University of Cambridge next year to study energy technologies and then will train as a prospective naval aviator in Pensacola, Florida.

Cadet 1st Class Benjamin R. Hook, majoring in astronautical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a flight commander in Cadet Sqdn. Eight (Eagle Eight), a glider instructor pilot and member of the academy’s competitive glider Acro Team. Next year, he will pursue a one-year global affairs master’s program as a Schwarzman Scholar in Beijing. Thereafter, he will attend pilot training at Sheppard AFB in Texas.

Video Learn more about the careers of Bruce Whitman and John Langford: AviationWeek.com/ BruceWhitman AviationWeek.com/ JohnLangford

Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award

Bruce Whitman (right) was recognized for devoting a half century to guiding and growing FlightSafety International, now one of the foremost aviation training and manufacturing organizations in the world, and for his many years of selfless service to veterans of America’s armed services. He was presented the award by William Garvey, editor-in-chief of Business & Commercial Aviation

John S. Langford (left) received a Lifetime Achievement Award for building the highly innovative small aerospace company Aurora Flight Sciences, which was acquired by Boeing in 2017, as well as for his continuing industry leadership and dedication to mentoring students and young engineers. He received the award from Graham Warwick, Aviation Week’s managing editor for technology.

LAUREATE

A SELLOUT CROWD OF 430 AEROSPACE LUMINARIES FROM ALL OVER THE world gathered at the historic National Building Museum in Washington on March 14 for the presentation of Aviation Week’s 62nd Annual Laureate Awards. Continuing a tradition that began in 1957, Aviation Week Network editors presented 30 previously announced awards in four categories: Defense, Commercial Aviation, Business Aviation and Space (AW&ST Feb. 11-24, p. 63). They then revealed a Grand Laureate winner in each category. Also honored were two Lifetime Achievement winners and two dozen top students pursuing aviation or aerospace careers (AW&ST March 11-24, p. 58). Nominations for the 2020 awards will open in June at laureates.aviationweek.com

LAUREATE AWARDS

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Grand Laureate: Embraer E-Jet E2

Electronics/Avionics: Airbus

Leadership: Margaret Jenny

MRO: United Airlines

Platform: Embraer E-Jet E2

Propulsion: Safran Aircraft Engines

Safety: ISAE-SupAero

Technology & Innovation: Airbus Perlan Mission II

Unmanned Systems: NASA, FAA, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Honeywell

DEFENSE

Grand Laureate: Royal Netherlands

Air Force/Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet

Best New Product: Perfect Point E-Drill

Electronics/Avionics: KC-135

Real-Time Information in the Cockpit

Leadership: Leanne Caret, President and CEO, Boeing Defense, Space & Security

MRO: U.S. Air Force, Moog and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Operations: Royal Netherlands Air Force/Multinational Multi-Role Tanker

Transport Fleet

Safety: Lockheed Martin/U.S. Air Force

Research Laboratory/Office of the Secretary of Defense

Technology & Innovation: Collins Elbit Vision Systems (CEVS) F-35 Gen III

Lightweight Helmet

Unmanned Systems: Office of Naval Research/Aurora Flight Sciences AACUS

SPACE

Grand Laureate: Rocket Lab Electron

Best New Product: Iceye

Leadership: Rick Ambrose, Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin Space

Launcher: Rocket Lab Electron Operations: LeoLabs

Platforms: Iridium Communications

Space Science: Mars Exploration

Rovers

Technology & Innovation: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Hayabusa 2

BUSINESS AVIATION

Grand Laureate: Bombardier

Global 7500

Electronics/Avionics: Garmin

International

Leadership: Mark Baker, President & CEO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

MRO: Gulfstream Aerospace

Platform: Bombardier Global 7500

Propulsion: Pratt & Whitney

Canada PW800

Supplier Innovation: GE Aviation

Catalyst Additive Manufacturing

Safety: Gulfstream Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System

Video: Learn more about the careers of Tom Enders and Paul Allen: AviationWeek.com/TomEnders AviationWeek.com/PaulAllen

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

· Tom Enders, Airbus CEO

· Paul Allen, philanthropist and entrepreneur

TOMORROW’S LEADERS

· Cadet 2/c Austin Brown, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

· Midshipman 2nd Class Aaron Martinez, U.S. Naval Academy

· Cadet 1st Class Ryan Olson, U.S. Air Force Academy

· Cadet Captain Bogue M. Waller, U.S. Military Academy

Defense

Aviation Week & Space Technology Defense Editor Steve Trimble (far left) and Managing Editor for Defense and Space Jen DiMascio (far right) joined this year’s Defense Laureate winners. Royal Netherlands Air Force Col. Jan der Kinderen and Col. Jurgen van der Biezen (left) accepted the Grand Laureate for leading the European/NATO Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet program.

Space

Aviation Week & Space Technology Space Editor Irene Klotz (far left) and Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Editor-in-Chief Jeff Morris (far right) presented awards to the 2019 Space Laureate winners. Rocketlab’s Grand Laureate was accepted by Lars Hoffman (right), senior vice president of global launch services.

Commercial Aviation

Aviation Week & Space Technology Managing Editor for Commercial Aviation

Jens Flottau (back row, second from right) and Aviation Daily Managing Editor Mark Nensel (far right) joined this year’s Commercial Aviation Laureates. Outgoing Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva (bottom right) and John Slattery, president/CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, accepted the Grand Laureate for the E-Jet E2.

Business Aviation

William Garvey (far left), editor-in-chief of Business & Commercial Aviation, and Molly McMillin (far right), editor-in-chief of The Weekly of Business Aviation, flanked this year’s Business Aviation Laureate winners. The Grand Laureate was accepted by Michel Ouellette, senior vice president for the Global 7500 and 8000 programs at Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Tomorrow’s Leaders

THE 62ND LAUREATES EVENT opened with Aviation Week and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) recognizing Tomorrow’s Leaders, two dozen top students from universities around the world (profiled in our March 11-24 issue) and the four U.S. service academies. The service academy cadets are: Midshipman 2nd Class Aaron Martinez (middle row, fourth from left), graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in aerospace engineering and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He is enrolled in the Naval Academy’s growing rotorcraft program, which emphasizes helicopter and vertical lift performance, stability and control. After graduation, he will report to The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, followed by flight training in Pensacola, Florida, to become a Marine Corps pilot.

Cadet 2nd Class Austin Brown (middle row, fourth from right), vice president of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Aviation Club, which is its largest student organization, and a qualified instructor in the academy’s RedBird MCX full-motion flight simulator. Brown has completed 24 total flight hours toward his private pilot’s license, and he has leveraged his flight experience to compete with the

academy’s flight team in ground and simulator events. Upon graduation, he hopes to attend Naval Flight Training in Pensacola, Florida, with the goal of becoming a Coast Guard aviator.

Cadet Capt. Bogue M. Waller (back row, fourth from right), studying mechanical engineering with a focus in aeronautical engineering at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is part of a capstone team focusing on the recovery of a large fixed-wing UAV without the use of a runway. He is fascinated by aviation and looks forward to a lifelong career in the field. After graduating in May, he will commission as an Army Aviation officer and begin flight school.

Cadet 1st Class Ryan Olson (inset), executive officer in Cadet Sqdn. 19 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, an astronautical engineering major and active member of the FalconSAT program, for which he is contributing to the design of the next satellite for the program. He completed a research internship with the Air Force Research Lab in Maui, Hawaii, where he contributed to a new method for calculating satellite relative motion. Following graduation, he hopes to attend graduate school to study astronautics before reporting to Sheppard AFB, Texas, for Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training.

Video Learn more about the careers of Tom Enders and Paul Allen: AviationWeek.com/ TomEnders AviationWeek.com/ PaulAllen

Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award

Outgoing Airbus CEO Tom Enders (right) received a Lifetime Achievement Award for leading a remaking of the company by reducing government interference and pursuing investor-based strategies. Airbus launched the A350 and A320neo families on his watch and opened new assembly lines in China and the U.S. Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-in-Chief Joe Anselmo presented the award.

Philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to both preserving aviation’s history and helping spark the revolution in low-cost access to space through the SpaceShipOne and Stratolaunch programs. Brian Morse (left in inset), Stratolaunch senior vice president for operations, accepted the award from Aviation Week Managing Editor for Technology Graham Warwick.

AVIATION WEEK’S 63RD ANNUAL

LAUREATE AWARDS

Seven months after the sudden onset of the COVID-19 crisis forced Aviation Week to postpone the 2020 Laureate Awards, editors honored more than two dozen winners from around the globe in a virtual event on Oct. 19. Winners of this year’s Grand Laureates— the best of the best in Business Aviation, Commercial Aviation, Defense and Space—were announced and interviewed during the online presentation. This was the 63rd presentation of the Aviation Week Laureates, which have recognized outstanding accomplishments in aviation, space and defense since 1957.

Defense

Grand Laureate

Embraer C-390 Millennium

Embraer delivered the first C-390 to the Brazilian Air Force in 2019. The tanker/ transport is the largest and most sophisticated aircraft yet developed by Embraer and the most ambitious defense development program in South American history. The Millennium can move troops and cargo, conduct medical evacuations, participate in humanitarian missions and firefighting roles and refuel helicopters and fighter aircraft for combat—with a platform that boasts low life-cycle costs.

Laureates

Bell V-280 Valor (Platforms), Northrop Grumman F-35 Center Fuselage Production (Manufacturing), BAE Systems Typhoon Total Availability Enterprise (MRO), Air Force Research Laboratory Medium-Scale Critical Components Scramjet Program (Propulsion), Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie (Technology & Innovation) and Missile Defense Agency/Boeing Ground-Based Midcourse Defense FTG-11 (Weapons).

Commercial Aviation

Grand Laureate

Airbus A321LR/XLR

Airbus’ launch of the long-range versions of the A321neo has been highly successful. The XLR in particular will enable airlines to fly transatlantic routes using an efficient narrowbody aircraft, reducing trip costs and opening thinner direct routes that have been outside of the scope of widebodies. As aviation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, smaller long-haul aircraft are forecast to be in high demand. While the A321LR is already in service, the XLR is planned to enter service in 2023. It has collected more than 450 firm orders, according to Airbus.

Laureates

David Neeleman (Leadership), Adel Ali (Airline Strategy), Aireon (Air Traffic Management), Rolls-Royce (Propulsion), Boeing ecoDemonstrator (Sustainability) and Donecle (MRO).

EMBRAER

Business Aviation

Grand Laureate

Garmin Autoland

Garmin’s Emergency Autoland is the ultimate co-pilot for desperate times. When activated with the push of a red button by anyone on board, the system takes control of the aircraft, evaluates winds, weather and fuel reserves, selects a suitable divert field and flies there while alerting air traffic control of its activation and intent. Upon approaching the selected airport, it descends, lowers flaps and landing gear, slows and touches down on the best runway available and then brakes to a stop. It is an aviation safety superlative.

Laureates

Gulfstream G500/G600 (Platforms), Pratt & Whitney PT6E Series (Propulsion), Rega Swiss Air-Rescue (Operations), Robotic Skies (MRO) and Wing Aviation (Technology & Innovation).

Space

Grand Laureate

RemoveDebris Mission

In a groundbreaking series of on-orbit tests amid concern over growing collision risks, the European Commission-funded RemoveDebris mission demonstrated a series of active debrisremoval technologies designed to clean up low Earth orbit. Deployed from the International Space Station, the RemoveDebris satellite tested vision-based navigation, net capture, harpoon capture and drag-sail deorbiting.

Laureates

Spaceflight Industries (Launch Services), Chang’e 4 Moon Landing (Space Science), Mars Cube One Mission (Platforms), HawkEye 360 (Operations), Reaction Engines (Propulsion) and OneWeb Satellites (Supplier Innovation).

Lifetime Achievement

Philip J. Klass Award

Robert Leduc

Veteran aerospace leader

Robert Leduc came out of retirement for a third time to return to Pratt & Whitney as president and used his leadership skills to shake up the corporate team and guide the PW1000G geared turbofan engine through a challenging service introduction and production ramp-up, setting it on a path to success. He also oversaw the buildup of the F135 fighter engine. Leduc retired, again, at the end of 2019.

Cadets

Each year, Aviation Week recognizes an outstanding cadet from each of the four U.S. military service academies. This year’s honorees are:

Video Watch the 2020 Laureate Awards and an interview with Robert Leduc: AviationWeek.com/Laureates2020

Aviation Week also recognizes 20 outstanding students pursuing careers in aerospace.

Read profiles of this year’s 20 Twenties at: AviationWeek.com/20Twenties2020

Cadet Capt.

Matthew R. Arnold

U.S. Military Academy

Cadet 1st Class

Jacob P. Cheeseman U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Midshipman 1st Class

Patrick N. Simons

U.S. Naval Academy

Cadet 1st Class

Albert Q. Thieu U.S. Air Force Academy

GARMIN

LAUREATE AVIATION WEEK’S 64TH ANNUAL

HAVING BEEN DRIVEN INTO THE VIRTUAL WORLD FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR by a pandemic, aviation and aerospace luminaries emerged in person to celebrate the industry’s best and brightest at Aviation Week’s 64th annual Laureate Awards. Before an audience of nearly 250 guests gathered in a ballroom outside Washington, Aviation Week editors presented some two dozen awards, honoring accomplishments that included a helicopter on Mars, a certified electric airplane, aviation’s role in the speedy development of a COVID-19 vaccine and an initiative to teach people with disabilities how to fly. Also honored were two Lifetime Achievement winners and two dozen top students pursuing aviation or aerospace careers (AW&ST Oct. 11-24, p. 62). “This year’s awards are extra special as they salute achievements made during one of the most trying periods our industry has ever experienced,” Aviation Week Editorial Director Joe Anselmo told the winners. “Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we put our heads down and pushed ahead, innovating and charting new frontiers.”

LAUREATE AWARDS 2021 LAUREATE WINNERS

SPACE

Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit

Northrop Grumman Mission

Extension Vehicle

SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2

Grand Laureate: NASA/JPL Mars Ingenuity

DEFENSE

Boeing Airpower Teaming System

GE Aviation XA100

U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory

Golden Horde

Grand Laureate:

U.S. Space Force Establishment

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Michael Schoellhorn, Airbus

Boeing Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative

GE Aviation Junior Officer

Leadership Program

Grand Laureate: Boeing 737 MAX

Joint Authorities Technical Review

BUSINESS AVIATION

Aerobility

International Aircraft Dealers Association

Pfizer Corporate Flight Department

Grand Laureate:

Pipistrel Velis Electro

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin

Robert Leduc, Pratt & Whitney (2020 winner)

TOMORROW’S LEADERS

Midshipman Lt. Dan Curren, U.S. Naval Academy

Cadet 3/c Alexander W. Regan, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Cadet Capt. Emma Sophia San Martin, U.S. Military Academy

Cadet 1st Class Benjamin Waters, U.S. Air Force Academy

Aviation Week Executive Editor for Defense and Space Jen DiMascio (left) and Aerospace Daily Editor-in-Chief Jeff Morris (right) flank this year’s Space Laureate winners. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. (ret.) Larry James (Inset) accepted the Grand Laureate on behalf of the NASA/JPL Mars Ingenuity mission.

Commercial Aviation

Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker (left) joins the 2021 Commercial Aviation Laureate Winners. The Grand Laureate was awarded to the Boeing 737 MAX Joint Authorities Technical Review and was accepted by the joint regulatory group’s chairman, Christopher Hart (inset).

Aviation Week Pentagon Editor Brian Everstine (left) and Defense Editor Steve Trimble (right) flank winners of the 2021 Defense Laureates. The Grand Laureate, which recognized the creation of the U.S. Space Force, was accepted virtually by U.S. Space Force Staff Director Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno (inset).

Business Aviation

Molly McMillin (left), editor-in-chief of The Weekly of Business Aviation, and Aviation Week Senior Editor Bill Carey (right) join this year’s Business Aviation Laureate winners. The Grand Laureate went to Pipistrel for certifying the first electric aircraft. Chief Technology Officer Tine Tomazic (inset) accepted the award.

Tomorrow’s Leaders

THE 64TH ANNUAL LAUREATE AWARDS EVENT culminated with recognition of Tomorrow’s Leaders. The 20 Twenties, top students pursuing careers in aerospace and aviation, were profiled in our Oct. 11-24 issue, starting on page 62. Also honored were an outstanding cadet from each of the four U.S. service academies. The four cadets, pictured below with Aviation Week Network President Gregory Hamilton (right), are, from left:

Cadet Capt. Emma Sophia San Martin is studying mechanical engineering with a minor in aeronautical engineering at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. Part of a team developing a wind tunnel for testing operational UAVs,

she is independently studying the impact of rotor spacing on wake-interference effects on the thrust production of a quadcopter-style UAV. After graduating in May, she plans to pursue graduate study as an intelligence officer while continuing her research on UAV and helicopter technologies. Cadet 3/c Alexander W. Regan is a mechanical engineering major at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut. Long fascinated by flight, with a particular affinity for helicopters, he worked on search-and-rescue and law enforcement missions at the Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. Regan plans to attend the Naval Flight School after graduating from the academy in 2024 and hopes to fly Coast Guard Jayhawks after that.

Midshipman Lt. Dan Curren studied aerospace engineering at California State University and spent two years on an overseas church mission before being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy. As an underclassman, he helped develop circuitry for micro-pulsed plasma thrusters and worked on a project to improve the Joint Strike Fighter compressor. He is currently the power engineer on a repair satellite prototype. Curren hopes to be commissioned as an ensign in the Navy and join the Naval Aviation community.

Cadet 1st Class Benjamin Waters is an astronautical engineering student at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a member of Cadet Sqdn. 33 and a soaring instructor pilot at the 94th Flight Training Sqdn. After graduation in 2022, Waters plans to attend graduate school and pursue undergraduate pilot training. He also hopes to work in engineering for the Air Force or the U.S. Space Force.

Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award

Video Learn more about the careers of Hewson and Leduc: AviationWeek.com/ Marillyn-Hewson AviationWeek.com/ Robert-Leduc

Robert Leduc (right) won Aviation Week’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 but had to wait a year to accept it because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leduc came out of retirement to return to Pratt & Whitney as president, guiding the PW1000G geared turbofan engine program through a challenging service introduction and production ramp-up and setting it on a path to success. The award was presented by Aviation Week Senior Business Editor Michael Bruno.

Marillyn Hewson (right) joined Lockheed in 1983 as an industrial engineer and rose through 20 management positions to become Lockheed Martin’s first female chair and CEO in 2013.

Before stepping down as CEO in mid-2020, Hewson earned a reputation as one of the most accomplished U.S. chief executives, presiding over the challenging ramp-up of the global F-35 program and achieving robust earnings and record backlogs. The award was presented by Aviation Week Executive Editor for Defense and Space Jen DiMascio.

AVIATION WEEK’S 65TH ANNUAL

LAUREAT E

AVIATION WEEK’S LAUREATE AWARDS GALA RETURNED TO THE NATIONAL BUILDING Museum on Nov. 3, gathering more than 350 luminaries in the historic Washington edifice to honor the aviation, defense and space industry’s innovators and innovations. Continuing an annual tradition dating back to 1957, editors from the Aviation Week Network honored accomplishments that included a new space telescope unlocking secrets of the universe, an autonomous military helicopter, a flight pattern that saves fuel by emulating migrating birds and a volunteer program to help underrepresented people of color become pilots. Also honored were two Lifetime Achievement winners and two dozen top students and military cadets pursuing aviation or aerospace careers (AW&ST Oct. 24-Nov. 6, p. 50). The 65th annual Laureate Award winners “span a broad spectrum: technology, exploration, science, safety, innovation, sustainability and leadership,” Aviation Week Editorial Director Joe Anselmo told the gala audience. “They remind us of what is so special about our industry as it pushes through unprecedented business and geopolitical challenges.”

E AWARDS

2022 LAUREATE WINNERS

DEFENSE

Afghan Airlift, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command

Korea Aerospace Industries KF-21

Derek Tournear, director, U.S. Space Development Agency

Vanilla Unmanned Prototype

Grand Laureate:

Autonomous Black Hawk, DARPA and Sikorsky

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Air France-KLM

Steve Dickson, former FAA administrator

Spirit AeroSystems

Transport & Environment

Grand Laureate: Airbus Fello’fly

BUSINESS AVIATION

4AIR

Signature Flight Support

Textron Aviation Cessna 408 SkyCourier

VRM Switzerland

Grand Laureate: RedTail Flight Academy

SPACE

Peter Beck, founder, president and CEO, Rocket Lab

Kerry Buckley, vice president, Mitre Corp.

Maxar Technologies

Grand Laureate: NASA-Northrop Grumman James Webb Space Telescope

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, executive chairman, Air Lease Corp.

Marc Parent, president and CEO, CAE

Video: Learn more about the careers of the Lifetime Achievement award recipients: AviationWeek.com/ Steven-Udvar-Hazy and AviationWeek.com/Marc-Parent

Read about all the Laureate winners: AviationWeek.com/laureates

Defense

Aviation Week Senior Aerospace Industry Analyst Craig Caffrey (far left above) and Defense Editor Steve Trimble (far right above) flank winners of the 2022 Defense Laureates. The Grand Laureate was accepted by DARPA’s Stuart Young (inset left) and Sikorsky’s Mike Baran (inset right) of the DARPA-Sikorsky Autonomous Black Hawk team.

Commercial Aviation

Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker (left) and Aviation Week

Senior Air Transport and Safety Editor Sean Broderick (right) join the 2022 Commercial Aviation Laureate winners. The Grand Laureate was awarded to Airbus Fello’fly and accepted by Alain de Zotti (inset), senior vice president of architecture and integration at Airbus.

Business Aviation

Bill Carey (left), Aviation Week’s senior editor for business aviation, and Molly McMillin (right), editor-in-chief of The Weekly of Business Aviation, flank the 2022 Business Aviation Laureate winners. The Grand Laureate was accepted by Mischa Harrigan and Lt. Col. Glendon Fraser (inset) of the RedTail Flight Academy.

Space

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Editor-in-Chief Jefferson Morris (left) and Aviation Week Executive Editor for Defense and Space Jen DiMascio (right) join the 2022 Space Laureates. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) won the Grand Laureate, which was accepted by Scott Willoughby (inset left) of Northrop Grumman and Bill Ochs (inset right), recently retired JWST program manager at NASA Goddard Space Center.

Tomorrow’s Leaders

THE 65TH ANNUAL LAUREATE AWARDS EVENT culminated with recognition of Tomorrow’s Leaders. The 20 Twenties (above), top students pursuing careers in aerospace and aviation, were profiled in our Oct. 24-Nov. 6 issue, starting on page 50. Also honored were four outstanding cadets (pictured below), one from each of the U.S. service academies. They are (clockwise from top):

Cadet 1st Class Timothy Goulet, majoring in astronautical engineering and applied mathematics with a minor in space warfighting at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Goulet’s interest in space began when he was young, thanks to his father’s work as

a Lockheed Martin contractor in the Hubble Space Telescope program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He came to the Air Force Academy hoping to pursue his passion in space, and he has been fortunate to do so through his coursework, involvement with the Cadet Space Operations Sqdn. and research with NASA Johnson Space Center. He hopes to commission into the Space Force as a developmental engineer next June. He is originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, and is a graduate of Howard High School.

Cadet Lt. Timothy Austin Bradley Widnerk, studying mechanical engineering with a focus in aeronautical engineering at the U.S. Military Academy. He is part of a capstone team there focusing on the design of an autonomous thermal lance to remove the need for an operator to be physically present. Widnerk completed Army Air Assault School and Cadet Leader Development Training at West Point. After graduating in May, he hopes for a commission as an Army Aviation officer and to begin flight school.

Cadet 1/c Taylor Jin Young, majoring in marine environmental science at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. She is chair of the Advisory Board to Women as well as a record-holding varsity springboard diver, qualified Redbird simulator instructor and president of the Aviation Club. Young is working toward her private pilot’s license and intends to pursue a career in aviation with the Coast Guard.

Midshipman 1st Class Cade Trauger, majoring in aerospace engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy. He played varsity lacrosse, golf and basketball and was valedictorian of his graduating class at James M. Bennett High School in Salisbury, Maryland. After graduation from the Naval Academy, he hopes to fly jets for the Navy with a goal of one day becoming a test pilot.

Gallery See the profiles of this year’s 20 Twenties: AviationWeek.com/ 2022-Twenty-20s

Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy (left) is the founding father of a leasing sector that today owns more than half of the global commercial aircraft fleet. He immigrated to the U.S. from Hungary in the 1950s, graduated from the University of California-Los Angeles and then set up his own airline consulting business before creating International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) in 1973. ILFC, which is now part of AerCap, became one of the dominant forces in global aviation. After leaving ILFC in 2010, he set up Air Lease Corp., another highly successful venture in the sector. Udvar-Hazy donated $66 million to the Smithsonian Institution to build what is now part of the U.S. National Air and Space Museum named for him at Washington Dulles International Airport. The award was presented by Aviation Week Executive Editor for Commercial Aviation Jens Flottau.

Video Learn more about the careers of Udvar-Hazy and Parent: AviationWeek.com/ Steven-Udvar-Hazy AviationWeek.com/ Marc-Parent

Marc Parent (left), president and CEO of CAE since 2009, has led the Canadian company’s growth from a simulation products supplier to the largest provider of civil aviation training services and a global leader in mission support for defense forces. Under his leadership, CAE adapted rapidly to help its airline customers ensure that thousands of pilots were ready for the postpandemic recovery in air travel. The award was presented by Aviation Week Senior Business Editor Michael Bruno.

AWARDS

Continuing a long tradition of honoring innovation, extraordinary achievements and exemplary leadership in aerospace and defense and aviation, Aviation Week’s editors announce the winners of this year’s Laureate Awards. We honor 29 individuals, companies and programs across ﬁve industry sectors—commercial aviation; defense; space; business aviation; and maintenance, repair and overhaul—as well as announce Lifetime Achievement awards and a new Pathﬁnder Award for exceptional industry leaders.

We also honor 20 rising stars in aerospace and aviation studies, the 2024 20 Twenties.

The awards will be presented at a black-tie gala at the National Building Museum in Washington on March 14. That evening, editors also will reveal ﬁve Grand Laureates selected from the winners in each of the industry categories.

For more information on attending this year’s Laureate Awards Gala, and to view a list of past winners dating back to 1957, go to Laureates.AviationWeek.com

Commercial Aviation

BEA (Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses pour la securite de l’aviation civile)

French air accident investigation office BEA has identified trends confirming aircraft in the approach and landing phase remain vulnerable despite equipment sophistication. The bureau is improving its investigation methods with new sources of data such as smartphones. BEA is also investing in 3D analysis of large mechanical parts, a lesson learned from uncontained engine failures.

Rolls-Royce UltraFan

The engine-maker conducted the first run of its UltraFan geared turbofan demonstrator in April 2023 in the Testbed 80 facility in Derby, England. With a fan diameter of 140 in., the UltraFan is by physical size the largest jet engine ever run. The test also marked the first run of a new-centerline large-fan engine at Rolls since the Trent XWB-84 in 2010.

Universal Hydrogen

The company’s De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 propulsion testbed became the largest hydrogenelectric-powered aircraft yet to fly in March 2023, taking off with one of its two turboprop engines replaced with a 1-megawatt-class fuel cell powertrain in a key milestone for the startup’s efforts to introduce zero-emission hydrogen propulsion, beginning with regional aviation.

American Airlines HEAT

The carrier’s Hub Efficiency Analytics Tool (HEAT) is targeted at improving operational performance during severe weather or other events affecting flights. The tool weighs data from various sources and shifts departures and arrivals at hubs to minimize disruptions. The tool has prevented about 1,000 cancellations since its introduction in 2022.

Guliz Ozturk, Pegasus Airlines, for Leadership

Ozturk has led the remarkable comeback of Pegasus Airlines as CEO since 2022. Pegasus is one of the most profitable airlines globally, following a highly successful low-cost carrier model mainly from its biggest base at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. Ozturk has not only delivered strong financial results but is also a keen supporter of gender equality and diversity.

MATT HARTMAN

Defense

Saab Gripen E

The aircraft entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in December 2022, marking a milestone in development of the next-generation version of the Swedish fighter. With Brazil’s selection of the Gripen E/F in December 2013, the program became a joint development effort, with Brazilian industry joining Saab’s supplier partners. The first series production Gripen E for Sweden was handed over in October 2023.

Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider

The U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider bomber flew for the first time on Nov. 10, 2023—eight years after contract award and less than a year after its public rollout at Northrop Grumman’s Plant 42 facility in Palmdale, California. The milestone opens the door for the company to begin low-rate initial production of the first new U.S. bomber in three decades.

Western Missile Integration for Ukraine

A challenge for the Ukrainian forces has been to erode the advantage of Russian’s much larger air force and air defense systems. A team from the UK rapidly figured out how to launch MBDA Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles from Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft, allowing Ukraine to hit military targets and supply lines deep inside Russian-held territory.

Nammo THOR-ER

In August 2023, the THOR-ER team from Norway and the U.S. twice test-fired a solid-fuel ramjet missile, demonstrating significant increases in effective range. The tests demonstrated new high-energy fuels, advanced air injection and throttling methods needed for future solid-fuel ramjet systems. The tests also highlighted international collaboration, involving the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, Norwegian Defense

X-62A VISTA

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Calspan and Lockheed Martin collaborated to transform the U.S. Air Force’s F-16D Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA) into the X-62 and enabled the first testing of synthetic artificial-intelligence pilots in a supersonic aircraft. This has provided the template for work on developing autonomy for the Air Force’s planned Collaborative Combat Aircraft family.

Eren Ozmen, Sierra Nevada Corp., for Leadership

Ozmen and her husband, Fateh, purchased Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) in 1994 and have turned it into a multibillion-dollar force to be reckoned with in the defense industry. In 2023, SNC notched a win to provide the U.S. Army with airborne intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance services, putting itself in a strong position to win follow-on business.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

SAAB

SIERRA NEVADA CORP.

Space

Firefly Aerospace and Millennium Space Systems Victus Nox

In a three-part relay race, Firefly and Millennium coordinated to launch a satellite for the U.S. Space Force in an unprecedented demonstration of rapid response. Millennium had 60 hr. to transport the satellite to Vandenberg SFB, California, fuel it and install a payload adaptor for launch by Firefly’s Alpha rocket 27 hr. later. A day and a half after that, the satellite was ready to begin a space domain awareness mission.

Indian Space Research Organization Chandrayaan-3

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman Sreedhara Somanath brought India’s space program back from the loss of its Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander in 2019 to become the fourth nation to land a rover on the Moon, landing the farthest south of any mission yet. The mission confirmed the presence of water in that region of the Moon as well as the presence of sulfur near the lunar South Pole—all at a cost of $75 million.

Lockheed Martin Osiris Rex

NASA’s $1 billion Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (Osiris-Rex) fulfilled its primary mission, collecting and delivering pristine samples from the primordial asteroid Bennu. Lockheed developed sample collection hardware that acted as a “reverse vacuum,” blowing compressed nitrogen gas to stir up dust and dirt from the asteroid and collect it in a canister for return to Earth in September 2023.

SpaceX Starlink

In 2020, Elon Musk mused that his Starlink constellation of lowEarth-orbit communication satellites might bankrupt his otherwise successful launch company SpaceX. Three years later and with more than 5,000 satellites orbited, Starlink is providing commercial high-speed internet access globally. Though controversial, Starlink has been used by Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the U.S. has contracted to use its military Starshield service.

Mike Moses, Virgin Galactic, for Leadership

Parlaying hard lessons from the space shuttle program, Moses joined Virgin Galactic from NASA in 2011 to help the startup backed by Richard Branson create and operate a safe, reliable, commercially viable space transportation service suitable for nonprofessional astronauts. It took years longer than expected, but the company began commercial operations in June 2023. Moses has served as Virgin Galactic’s president since 2016.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

Business Aviation

Defense

Dassault Aviation FalconWays

Saab Gripen E

A small team of Dassault engineers and pilots, led by engineering manager Cyrille Grimald, developed a flight planning tool called FalconWays that allows pilots to optimize fuel consumption by selecting the most fuel-efficient route based on real-time weather data and performance data for each specific model of Falcon business jet. The team proposed the program through an in-house entrepreneurial initiative.

Nammo THOR-ER

NBAA Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation

The National Business Aviation Association launched the Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program to help organizations reduce their carbon footprints. The program has four accreditations—flight, ground support, operations and infrastructure. To date, it has awarded 44 accreditations to 25 businesses that have identified a net reduction of 125,266 metric tons of CO it nurtures a sustainable culture that has become the industry standard.

The National Business Aviation Association launched the Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program to help organizations reduce their carbon footprints. The program has four accreditations—flight, ground support, operations and infrastructure. To date, it has awarded 44 accreditations to 25 businesses that have identified a net reduction of 125,266 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Beyond this, it nurtures a sustainable culture that has become the industry standard.

Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider

SmartSky Networks

X-62A VISTA

SmartSky’s 5G/LTE air-to-ground connectivity network for business aviation became operational across the U.S. in 2022. In 2023, the company announced SmartSky LITE, the first streaming-level system available for smaller business aircraft such as the Pilatus PC-12. The 5G/LTE LITE system is flying on five different types of light jet and turboprop.

GAMA Electric Propulsion and Innovation Committee (EPIC)

Eren Ozmen, Sierra Nevada Corp., for Leadership

Established in 2015 by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), EPIC has successfully brought industry together to provide coordinated input to aviation regulators and standards developers on issues raised by new technologies including electric aircraft propulsion and simplified vehicle operation. In August 2023, GAMA submitted a robust industrywide response to the FAA’s proposed operating rules for vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles.

Western Missile Integration for Ukraine

Barrington Irving, for Leadership

Having previously been the youngest person to pilot an airplane around the world solo, Jamaican American pilot Irving created the Flying Classroom to bring STEM learning to K-12 students. Now that classroom, part of the Barrington Irving Technical Training School, will also serve adults. The aviation technical training delivers job-ready skills that can help expand the workforce to a wider range of people.

BARRINGTON

LOCKHEED MARTIN

SAAB

SIERRA NEVADA CORP.

Space

MRO

Business Aviation

AAR

Dassault Aviation FalconWays

Firefly Aerospace and Millennium Space Systems Victus Nox

The company developed the Concourse digital platform internally to unify and streamline business operations across the company. Concourse provides a single place for employees and customers to interact and manage business, as well as centralizes future technology initiatives at AAR. In early 2023, it launched its Digital MRO application, digitizing the entire airframe MRO workflow, from task cards to inspections and final signoffs.

Delta TechOps

Indian Space Research Organization Chandrayaan-3

NBAA Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation

The Delta Engine Maintenance team reimagined engine operations coming out of COVID-19 when the airline MRO faced significant increases in engine and part repair turnaround times and the addition of three engine variants. The result: The APEX program’s predictive and simulation capabilities have resulted in predictive part-level material scrapping, optimized engine production control, substantial improvements in material availability and eight-digit cost savings.

The National Business Aviation Association launched the Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program to help organizations reduce their carbon footprints. The program has four accreditations—flight, ground support, operations and infrastructure. To date, it has awarded 44 accreditations to 25 businesses that have identified a net reduction of 125,266 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Beyond this, it nurtures a sustainable culture that has become the industry standard.

Lockheed Martin Osiris Rex

GE Aerospace

SmartSky Networks

The company’s investments in new engine inspection technology is improving the efficiency, accuracy and quality of inspections. For example, its artificial intelligence-powered Advanced Blade Inspection Tool for on-wing inspections can reduce inspection time from hours to minutes, and its Sensiworm uses untethered soft robotics technology to crawl through an engine to detect defects and corrosion.

SpaceX Starlink

Lufthansa Technik

GAMA Electric Propulsion and Innovation Committee (EPIC)

To streamline workflows and enable data sharing across applications, Lufthansa Technik has created a technical operations ecosystem by bringing together Flydocs maintenance archives and the Aviatar data platform with Swiss-AS’ AMOS engineering and maintenance system. Benefits range from making application programming interfaces work seamlessly across systems to leveraging data across systems and creating additional predictive benefits.

Mike Moses, Virgin Galactic, for Leadership

Barrington Irving, for Leadership

SR Technics, Atlas Air and Kuehne+Nagel

In April 2023, the MRO, air cargo and logistics giants joined forces to create the Sustainable Engine Alliance, a partnership to manage global engine supply chains more sustainably. This includes using digital services for emissions transparency, sustainable aviation fuel and engine-stand management solutions, while avoiding environmentally harmful materials.

BARRINGTON IRVING

LOCKHEED MARTIN

Philip J. Klass Lifetime Achievement Award

Clay Lacy , often called Mr. Learjet, was instrumental in launching the business jet era. He began flying at age 12 on his grandmother’s farm and joined United Airlines in 1952 at age 19. In 1969, Lacy flew the first Learjet into Van Nuys Airport in California as a demonstrator for Pacific Learjet. Four years later, he founded Clay Lacy Aviation as the first jet charter and executive jet management company on the West Coast. He has flown more than 300 aircraft types and logged more than 50,000 flight hours. Lacy also helped t0 pioneer the Astrovision camera system used to film more than 2,000 projects, including the original “Top Gun.”

Pathfinder Award

Dan Goldin is known as the longest-serving administrator of NASA, but his contributions to space go far beyond that. Launching his career in 1962 as a propulsion engineer at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, he went on to spend 25 years leading cutting-edge national security space projects at TRW (now Northrop Grumman). Appointed NASA administrator in 1992, Goldin reenergized the agency with his “faster, better, cheaper” mantra, overseeing the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, landing of U.S. rovers on Mars, redesign and construction of the International Space Station and the forging of an international partnership with Russia in the ashes of the Cold War. He also guided the initial design of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Luis Carlos Affonso is the mastermind behind Embraer’s success in commercial and business aviation. He joined the company more than 40 years ago in January 1983, as an aeronautical engineer. Since then, he has led the launch and development of multiple all-new commercial and business aviation aircraft, including the ERJ145, first-generation Embraer 170/190 family and E-Jet E2 family. He also led Embraer’s diversification into executive jets. Later, as head of strategy, Affonso drove the creation of EmbraerX, a unit dedicated to disruptive technology, and advanced air mobility spinoff Eve.

DYLAN PATRICK PHOTOGRAPHY

STRATOLAUNCH

EMBRAER