Four Aviation and Space Achievements to Compete for the 2021 Robert J. Collier Trophy
Washington, DC, February 24, 2022 – The National Aeronautic Association announced today that four aviation and space achievements will compete for the 2021 Collier Trophy.
Commissioned in 1910 by aviator, humanitarian, and sportsman, Robert J. Collier, with the intent to encourage the American aviation community to strive for excellence in aeronautic development, the Collier Trophy has been justly called the most prized of all aeronautical honors. Awarded annually “…for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America,” the list of Collier recipients represents a timeline of aviation and space exploration, as many of the awardees mark major milestones in the history of flight. The 525-pound bronze trophy is on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Past winners of the Collier Trophy include Orville Wright, Howard Hughes, Glenn Curtiss, William Lear, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the crews of Apollo 11 and Apollo 8, and the Mercury 7. Projects and programs that have been awarded the Collier include the B-52, the Voyager Aircraft Team, the Gulfstream G650, the F-22, and the Skylab Program. The five most recent recipients of the Collier Trophy are Garmin Autoland, the United States Department of the Air Force – Boeing X-37B, the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System Team, the Cirrus Aircraft Vision Jet, and the Blue Origin New Shepard Team.
The finalists competing for the 2021 Collier Trophy are:
• The DARPA, U.S. Air Force, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, and Northrop Grumman Hypersonic Air Breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) Program
• The Dynetics and DARPA X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle (GAV) Program
• The NASA/JPL Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team
• The SpaceLogistics and Intelsat Mission Extension Vehicle 2 (MEV-2) Team
“For well over a century, the Collier Trophy has recognized aviation’s greatest achievements,” said NAA President, Greg Principato. “Robert Collier hoped this recognition would provide inspiration for even greater progress. The results show the success of his vision. This year’s nominees are all in the great tradition of this most prestigious award for aviation achievement and I congratulate all the finalists.”
The Collier Trophy Selection Committee will convene on March 31, 2022, and the winner will be announced publicly following the selection. The formal presentation of the Collier Trophy will take place on June 9, 2022, in the Washington, D.C. area. More information can be found by visiting www.naa.aero.
The National Aeronautic Association is a non-profit membership organization devoted to fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and to promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. NAA is the caretaker of some of the most important aviation awards in the world and certifies all national aviation records set in the United States. For information, visit www.naa.aero.
