Aeronautical Recognition Offered to Pioneering Personnel

The National Aeronautic Association's Robert J. Collier Trophy is up for grabs for 2023, and nominations are accepted through January 31st.

The trophy is annually awarded to the "greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles". The trophy has one particular addendum for such pioneering ideas, however - the advancement has to have proven itself valuable through actual, demonstrated use in the preceding year. As such, the trophy's recipients offer a pretty thorough timeline of aeronautical improvements over the years.

The first Collier trophy was issued to the United States Air Mail Service for offering the 1st transcontinental air mail route a full century ago. Half a century ago, the crews of the Skylab program found themselves awarded for the US' first space station. A quarter century later, Lockheed Martin and partners got the Collier for their work on the U-2 spy plane program.

The Association will accept nominations from any person or group, with each evaluated by appropriate subject matter experts. Verified nominations will move into in-person presentations to the Collier Selection Committee. Nominees for the final round will be notified by February 17th.

FMI: www.naa.aero