Nominations Accepted Annually May 1 – August 31
Public Benefit Flying Awards
Presented by the National Aeronautic Association
in association with the Air Care Alliance
Deadline and Submission Process
Nominations must be received by NAA by August 31. If this date falls on a weekend or Holiday, this date automatically moves to the next business day. Nominations received after the deadline will not be accepted. Nominations must be submitted by email as an attached Word document to [email protected] with "PBF Nomination" in the subject line.
Public Benefit Flying is defined as those activities, conducted largely by volunteers, in which one or more general aviation aircraft was used to support the health and well being of anyone needing charitable assistance or for the benefit of the general public and for which no fee was charged for the aircraft or for pilot services.
The awards are intended to honor the efforts of United States citizens and organizational volunteers working in the field of public benefit flying and those who support them. Awards may be granted to individuals, teams, groups or organizations as appropriate. An award may be given for just one or for several extraordinary events or accomplishments or may be based on long term or lifetime achievement.
There are five distinct categories of Public Benefit Flyng Awards, each with their own particular criteria as described below.
Award Categories and Criteria
Distinguished Volunteer Pilot – awarded to an individual or individuals for outstanding public benefit flying service as a volunteer pilot.
Criteria: For performance that exceeds expectations and distinguishes the nominee from others. Consider the amount and nature of effort, commitment, sacrifice, and impact on clients, organization, and community.
Distinguished Volunteer – awarded to an individual or individuals for outstanding service as a non-flying volunteer working in public benefit flying.
Criteria: For performance that exceeds expectations and distinguishes non-pilot volunteers and their efforts. Consider the amount and nature of effort, commitment, sacrifice, and the impact on clients, organizations, and community.
Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying – for outstanding achievement by an individual or organization that helped raise the standard of service of or contributed significantly to the overall advancement of Public Benefit Flying.
Criteria: For exemplary achievement or contribution by an individual, group of individuals, an organization, or group of organizations that significantly raised the standard of service, improved the state-of-the-art, or contributed to the advancement of Public Benefit flying overall. Consider the size, complexity, and unique value of the achievement and its positive impact on public benefit flying.
Public Benefit Flying Teamwork Award – for outstanding cooperation and coordination involving two or more unaffiliated Public Benefit Flying organizations in the accomplishment of a common mission, task, or objective.
Criteria: For exemplary collaboration involving unrelated individuals and/or unaffiliated and independent public benefit flying organizations in order to complete a task or endeavor beyond the scope and resources of any one public benefit flying organization. Consider the size, complexity, and unique value of the collaboration to the furtherance of public benefit flying efforts.
Champion of Public Benefit Flying – awarded to an individual, organization, or company who, while not operationally directly involved in Public Benefit Flying, has provided extraordinary support for such efforts and thus advanced the cause of Public Benefit Flying.
Criteria: This award is intended for individuals or groups not directly or primarily involved in public benefit flying, for extraordinary support and contributions providing fair winds beneath the wings of public benefit flying organizations and their volunteers. Consider the nature and scope of the support itself and/or its impact on encouraging others to provide the necessary lift for public benefit flying.
General Criteria
Nominees must be either U.S. citizens or U.S. organizations.
Public Benefit Flying is defined as those activities, conducted largely by volunteers, in which one or more general aviation aircraft were used to support the health and well being of anyone needing charitable assistance or for the benefit of the general public, and for which no fee was charged for the aircraft or for pilot services.
Awards are intended to honor the efforts of volunteers working in the field of public benefit flying, or those who support them. Awards may be granted to individuals, teams, groups, or organizations, as appropriate.
Awards may be based on just one or on several extraordinary events or accomplishments or may be based on long term or lifetime achievement. This must be clearly expressed in the nominating materials.
Nominators and nominees must understand that the award recipient or a representative is expected to attend the ceremony in Washington D.C. to personally accept the award. Neither NAA nor ACA are able to fund the expenses for attending.
How to Submit Nominations
By Organizations: Each primary administrative office for organizations appearing on the ACA listing of all public benefit flying groups as of March 1 shall receive an invitation to submit one nomination for each of the above named awards. Certain other organizations which are supportive of or commonly working with volunteers and their public benefit flying groups, or which are knowledgeable in the field of aviation, may also be sent invitations, at the discretion of NAA.
By Individuals: may submit nominations for one or more of these awards by forwarding their nomination information to the primary administrative office of their own organization(s) for consideration as that organization’s candidates, or may submit nominations directly to NAA as described below.
Nomination Format
Each nomination shall be limited to a maximum of five (5) printed pages in the following format; the page layout and size and type of font may be of the writer's choosing.
Cover and Contact Information (one page): The nomination package will include a cover sheet page specifying the award category proposed and complete contact information for the nominee, the nominator, and two persons who are willing to act as references for the nominee. The contact information shall include the name, title and/or affiliation, mailing address, telephone numbers (work and home), and email address for each person.
Justification (three pages): Give complete yet concise details explaining why the nominee should receive the award proposed. Provide such background information as considered pertinent and any other relevant information that would assist the Selection Committee. Justification for the award shall not exceed three pages in length.
Abstract and Citation (one page): Provide the final separate sheet containing an Abstract of the Justification statement in 75 words or less, plus a draft Citation that might appear on the award. The Citation must be 30 words or less which celebrate and capture the essence of the achievement for which the nominee’s name has been submitted.
Selection Committee and Awards Ceremony
The selection committee will be comprised of prominent individuals and representatives of aviation organizations nominated by both NAA and ACA. Awardees will be honored at the NAA Fall Awards Ceremony in Washington D.C.
Submit Nominations via Email:
Again, nominations must be received by NAA by August 31. If this date falls on a weekend or Holiday, this date automatically moves to the next business day. Nominations received after the deadline will not be accepted. Nominations must be submitted by email as an attached Word document emailed to [email protected] with "PBF Nomination" in the subject line.
