Three major national general aviation industry awards, as well as FAA's national aviation safety counselor award, will be presented by FAA Administrator Marion Blakey during the annual "Meet The Administrator" session at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2003. (The 51st annual fly-in convention for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is scheduled July 29-August 4 at
Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.)

The industry awards program, now in its 40th year, honors the National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year, the National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year and the National Avionics Technician of the Year. In addition, Administrator Blakey will present the FAA National Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year award, marking the first time all four of these prestigious awards will be presented together.

"In this, the 100th year of flight, we are extremely pleased to see AirVenture as the location for the 40th presentation of these national awards," said EAA President and AirVenture Chairman Tom Poberezny. "These dedicated award recipients deserve the special recognition that is available at AirVenture, where enthusiasts and professionals from throughout the world gather each summer to celebrate their mutual passion for aviation."

The award winners will be announced in early March. The exact date of the presentation during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2003 will be announced when it is confirmed.

The General Aviation Industry Awards Program is a cooperative effort between the Federal Aviation Administration and industry sponsors to recognize outstanding individuals in the fields of Aviation Maintenance, Avionics and Flight Instruction. Yearly winners are selected and recognized at three levels: local Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO), the nine regional FAA offices and finally at the national level.

FMI: www.airventure.org