Meritorious Service to Aviation Award

The NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award is business aviation’s most distinguished honor, recognizing extraordinary lifelong professional contributions to aviation. The recipients of the Meritorious Service Award built the aviation industry, including business aviation, from the ground up. For decades, through their perseverance, business savvy and technological innovation, Meritorious Service Award winners have created an industry and a community around one common denominator – the miracle of flight. In the process, they also have created one of the most diverse, responsive and versatile industries the world has ever known and a remarkable community that supports it.

NBAA has presented the Meritorious Service Award almost every year since its creation. Review the list of award winners.

Who Is Eligible for the Award?

First presented in 1950, the NBAA Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation is one of the aviation industry’s most prestigious honors. Candidates for the Meritorious Service to Aviation Award must be individuals who, by virtue of a lifetime of personal dedication, have made significant identifiable contributions that have materially advanced aviation interests. Such contributions do not necessarily have to be confined to the field of business aviation.

The Nomination Process

NBAA annually requests nominations for the Meritorious Service to Aviation Award. The NBAA Nominating & Governance Committee reviews the nominations and recommends an appropriate nominee to the NBAA Board of Directors. The Board then selects the recipient, who is officially recognized at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition.

All nominations sent to NBAA should include the following material:

• A letter from the nominator introducing the nominee and explaining why he or she is eligible. This document serves as the nominator’s letter of reference.
• The nominee’s professional biography and/or resume describing the nominee’s education, employment, accomplishments and honors.
• Any supporting documents, including copies of newspaper clippings, publications and articles related to the nominee.

Additional letters of reference from persons other than the nominator are optional.

To nominate someone who meets the eligibility criteria, assemble a nomination package according to the instructions above and mail it to NBAA by the published deadline.

The Nomination Deadline

Send all materials for this award to:

NBAA
Attn: Benjamin Schwalen
1200 G Street NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Email: bschwalen@nbaa.org

Meritorious Service to Aviation Award Winners

• Jared Isaacman (2023)
• Martine Rothblatt (2021)
• Ross Perot, Jr. (2019)
• Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (2018)
• Joan Sullivan Garrett (2017)
• Sen. Bill Nelson (2016)
• Joe Clark (2015)
• Bob Hoover (2014)
• Gene Cernan (2013)
• Tuskegee Airmen (2012)
• Clay Lacy (2011)
• Arnold Palmer (2010)
• Serge Dassault (2009)
• Phil Boyer (2008)
• Bryan T. Moss (2007)
• Archie Trammell (2006)
• Edward W. Stimpson (2005)
• Stuart Matthews (2004)
• Sam B. Williams (2003)
• James D. Raisbeck (2002)
• Paul H. Poberezny (2001)
• No award made (2000)
• Donald D. Engen (1999)
• Charles N. Coppi (1998)
• R. Dixon Speas (1997)
• Dr. Leonard Greene (1996)
• Russell W. Meyer, Jr. (1995)
• Allen Paulsen (1994)
• D.U. (Dee) Howard (1993)
• James B. Taylor (1992)
• Albert L. Ueltschi (1991)
• No award made (1990)
• John H. Winant (1989)
• Edward J. King, Jr. (1988)
• Burt Rutan, Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan (1987)
• The Personnel of the Air Traffic System (1986)
• NASA Space Shuttle Crews (1985)
• A. Scott Crossfield (1984)
• Senator Barry M. Goldwater (1983)
• Charles L. (Kelly) Johnson (1982)
• Robert B. Hotz (1981)
• Sir Frank Whittle and Hans von Ohain (1980)
• Dr. Charles Stark Draper (1979)
• Dr. Richard T. Whitcomb (1978)
• William F. Remmert and D. Robert Werner (1977)
• George E. Haddaway (1976)
• William P. Lear, Sr. (1975)
• Edward J. Swearingen (1974)
• Dwane L. Wallace (1973)
• NBAA’s Silver Anniversary Member Companies (1972)
• Michael C. Murphy (1971)
• Juan T. Trippe (1970)
• Olive Ann Beech (1969)
• Henry J. Schiebel, Jr. (1968)
• Henry B. Dupont (1967)
• James S. McDonnell (1966)
• Capt. E.B. Jeppesen (1965)
• William J. Schulte (1964)
• Edwin Albert Link (1963)
• A.S. “Mike” Monroney (1962)
• William T. Piper, Sr. (1961)
• Donald Wills Douglas (1960)
• Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle (1959)
• Gill Robb Wilson (1958)
• Igor I. Sikorsky (1957)
• Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker (1956)
• Frederick B. Lee (1955)
• Donald M. Stuart (1954)
• Col. Charles A. Lindbergh (1953)
• No award made (1952)
• Col. J. Francis Taylor, Jr. (1951)
• Arthur M. Godfrey (1950)