December 1, 2020 Newsbite
Dear NAA Members and Friends,
We hope that you and your loved ones had a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. While this year has been difficult in many ways, we at NAA are grateful for our members and the entire aerospace community for your ongoing engagement and support of our projects and programs. We look forward to continuing to serve you in 2021 and beyond!
NAA and the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) are pleased to announce our upcoming webinar, Aerospace Education: Inspiring the Workforce of Tomorrow, on December 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The future of aviation and the American economy depend on a workforce well steeped in STEAM concepts and drawn from the entire talent pool. This webinar features accomplished and thoughtful leaders Dr. James Gregory, Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University and 2020 NAA Brewer Trophy recipient; Dr. John Langford, Founder of Electra.aero and NAA Board Member; Shella Condino, Physics Teacher at Oakton High School, TARC/Rocketry Club Lead, and 2011 NAHF Aerospace Teacher of the Year; and Scott McComb, Science Chair at Raisbeck Aviation High School, AIAA Founding Advisor, and 2019 NAHF Aerospace Teacher of the Year, who will consider how to make this a reality. We hope that you will join us for this informative and dynamic discussion!
The nomination period for one of aviation’s oldest and most prestigious awards, the NAA Collier Trophy, is now open through January 31. Founded in 1911 by aviator, humanitarian, and sportsman Robert J. Collier, the 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.” The list of Collier winners represents a timeline of aviation and space, as many of the awardees mark major events in the history of flight. More information about the Collier Trophy criteria and nomination guidelines are available on the NAA website.
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) – the world air sports federation, for which NAA is the U.S. representative and founding member, will host a virtual award ceremony on December 2 at 2:00 p.m. ET to celebrate the women and men who will be awarded with FAI medals and diplomas. This year, 45 recipients will be honored for their outstanding contributions spanning a wide variety of the activities, sports, and disciplines within FAI. FAI President Bob Henderson said, “I invite everyone from all around the world to tune in with us to celebrate the people who played a major part in the world of air sports and beyond. The FAI Awards Ceremony is such an important fixture in our calendar that we were determined to organize it despite the pandemic. In a sense, it has been a chance to be creative and to present the FAI Awards in a fresh way.” The virtual awards ceremony can be viewed live on FAI’s YouTube channel or Facebook page.
The Aero Club of Washington, D.C. Runway Program in partnership with Women in Aviation International YoPro Connect are pleased to present Pioneers in Aviation with Stephanie Chung. Join moderators Kali Hague and Gabrielle Palmas on December 7 at 12:00 p.m. ET for an engaging conversation with Stephanie Chung, Chief Growth Officer at Wheels Up, a leading brand in private aviation. Stephanie will share her advice and lessons learned about leadership, diversity, and breaking barriers in aviation. This is one webinar you don’t want to miss!