
SFTE AWARDS

Kelly Johnson
Kelly Johnson established the fabled Lockheed Skunk Works that was responsible for many designs and flight testing of aircraft such as the P-80, U-2, SR-71, F104, F-117, YF-22, and X-35.
Kelly Johnson Award
Individual Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Flight Test Engineering.

James S. McDonnell
James McDonnell was the founder of McDonnell Aircraft Company responsible for aircraft such as the F-2H, F-4D, F-4, and F-15 as well as many space vehicles such as the Apollo Command module.
James S. McDonnell Award
Team Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Flight Test Engineering.

Jesualdo Martinez
Jesualdo Martinez was a Spanish FTE at Airbus Defense & Space and member of the SFTE European Chapter Board who demonstrated and promoted the Society values of education, participation, and professionalism in the field of Flight Test Engineering. Jesulado and 4 fellow crew members perished in the crash of an A400M during a test flight in May 2015 from Seville airport.
Jesualdo Martinez Award
As a memorial for Jesualdo and our colleagues who have sacrificed their lives while performing their job, the European Chapter has established this award. The candidacies will be received by the European Chapter Board, and the award will be delivered every two years. The first one will be awarded this June during the 50th SFTE and 30th European Chapter Symposium in Toulouse.

Directors Award
Recognition for significant and lasting contributions toward the welfare, stature, leadership, or membership of the Society.
2020 Kelly Johnson Award

Ms. Kristen Finnegan
US Navy, Pax River
Ms. Kristen Finnegan, CH-53K LHD Shipboard Test Team Lead
- Developed complex test plan, led preparations for the two-week detachment,
directed on-site execution
- 6 different agencies/contractor organizations comprising of over 300 personnel
- Worked with flight doctors & ship senior medical staff to ensure minimized exposure of test team and ship’s company to COVID-19.
2020 James S. McDonnell Award

CH-53K Integrated Test TeamIntegrated Test Force
- 1st Shipboard Detachment of CH-53K
Flight Control System (FCS) control law development, blade fold &
spread cycles, fuel system development, and other critical testing
for shipboard detachment. - 2 Week Detachment during COVID restrictions & impacts
96-person test team comprised of developmental, operational, &
contractor test personnel on USS Wasp
FCS replaced TM personnel due to last-minute COVID impact - 32.2 flight hours, 364 shipboard landings (12.8 hours & 74 landings at night)
2019 James S. McDonnell Award

F-35 Lightning IIIntegrated Test Force
Eglin AFB, FL
China Lake, CA
Joint Program Office
3 Variants - CTOL, STOVL, CV17,000 Flight Hours
65,000 Test Points
Austere & Ship-Based ops8 Flight Test Shipboard Deployments
15 Years
System Design & Development Completed March 2018
2019 Kelly Johnson Award

Mr. Andrew Maack
F-35 Pax River ITF Chief Engineer
2019 SFTE Directors Award
Mr. Dana Johnson
Annual STEM Program at Moon Day
Developing SFTE App in 2019
2019 Jesualdo Martinez Award
Mr. Gerard Desbois
Past Recipients
Kelly Johnson Award Winners
Year | Recipient | Affiliation |
2019 | Andrew Maack | F-35 Pax River ITF Chief Engineer |
2018 | Tim Dutton | Martin Aviation |
2017 | Vanessa L. Bond | USAF SEEK EAGLE |
2015 | Alan R. Lawless | Honda Aircraft |
2014 | Frank S. Brown | Air Force Test Center |
2013 | Reagan K. Woolf | Air Force Test Center |
2012 | David L. Vanhoy | USAF Test Pilot School |
2011 | Tim Jorris | USAF Test Pilot School |
2010 | John Minor | Hill Air Force Base |
2009 | Ken Edwards | QinetiQ |
2008 | Robert N. Burton | BAE Systems |
2007 | Robert G. Hoey | USAF Flt. Test Center |
2006 | Gary L. Aldrich | USAF Test Pilot School |
2005 | Johnny Armstrong | USAF Flt. Test Center |
2004 | Burt Rutan | Scaled Composites |
2003 | X-31 Vector | USN, Boeing, EADS, DLR, BWB, RJK |
2002 | Charles E. Webb | NAWC Aircraft Div. |
2001 | George Ka'iliwai III | USAF Test Pilot School |
2000 | Frank W. Burcham | NASA Dryden |
1999 | R. Dale Reed | NASA Dryden |
1998 | Anatoly G. Kruglov | Aviation Reg., Russia |
1997 | Richard Hildebrand | USAF Flt.Test Center |
1996 | Charles Van Norman | USAF Flt.Test Center |
1995 | Joseph L. Dunn | NAWC Aircraft Div. |
1994 | F-16 MATV Team | Lockheed, GE, USAF |
1993 | David E. Gibbings | Westland Helicopters |
1992 | Donald Wyrick | Lockheed |
1991 | Joint STARS | Grumman, USAF,US Army |
1990 | Roger C. Crane | USAF Flt.Test Center |
1989 | Kenneth W. Iliff | NASA Dryden |
1988 | Eugene J. Zehr | McDonnell Douglas |
1987 | William E. Jennings | Bell Helicopter |
1986 | Charles E. Adolph | USAF Flt.Test Center |
1985 | Chester B. Payne | Lockheed |
1984 | James H. Lincoln | Boeing |
1983 | Frederick Stoliker | USAF Flt.Test Center |
1982 | Frederick Schaefer | Grumman |
1981 | XV-15 Test Team | Bell Helicopter |
1980 | Donald D. Archer | Boeing |
1979 | Spirit 'TM' Team | Sikorsky |
1978 | Robert Samuelson | McDonnell Douglas |
1977 | Richard Abrams | Rockwell |
1976 | Harold Cheney | McDonnell Douglas |
1975 | Jack Strier | USAF |
1974 | Ronald Magnuson | Bell Helicopter |
1973 | Kelly Johnson | Lockheed |
James S. McDonnell Award Winners
Year | Recipient |
2019 | F-35 Integrated Test Force |
2018 | Perlan II Project |
2017 | F-35C ITF DT-III Team |
CNAF, NAVAIR, NAWCAD, VFA-101 USN - USS George Washington CVN-73 | |
2016 | F/A-18 Block H12 Pt. Mugu Detachment Flight Test Engineering Team |
ATAC Corp. (Hawker Hunter), Boeing F/A-18 & EA-18G Advanced Weapon Lab NAWCWD China Lake & Point Mugu VFA-15 Virginia Beach VX-9, VX-31 China Lake VX-20, VX-23 Patuxent River 82nd Aerial Targets Detachment NAWC Aircraft Division | |
2015 | F/A-18E/F Magic Carpet Test Team |
USN - USS Nimitz CVN77 NAWC Aircraft Division Boeing, Atlantic Test Ranges | |
2014 | TAI Flight Test Team |
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) | |
2013 | X-51A Scramjet Engine Test Team |
Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Rocketdyne NAWC Point Mugu NAS NASA Dryden, DARPA, AFRL, AFTC Boeing, NASA, AFTC Northrop Grumman | |
2012 | Phantom Eye Test Team |
MAHLE Powertrain | |
2011 | NAVY UCAS Integrated Test Team |
USAF, NAVAIR Northrop Grumman | |
2010 | X-51A Scramjet Engine Test Team |
Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Rocketdyne NAWC Point Mugu NAS NASA Dryden, DARPA, AFRL, AFTC Boeing, NASA, AFTC Northrop Grumman | |
2009 | T-45 HSRIP Flight Test Team |
Boeing, United States Navy | |
2008 | E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Test Team |
Northrop Grumman, United States Navy | |
2007 | EA-18G 'Growler' Flight Test Team |
NAWC-WD China Lake Boeing, Northrop Grumman VX-9, VX-31 Advanced Weapons Lab VX-23 NAS Patuxent River VX-30 NAS Point Mugu | |
2006 | X-43A Flight Test Team |
Orbital Sciences NASA Langley NASA Dryden |
SFTE Directors Award Winners
Year | Recipient | Affiliation |
2019 | Dana Johnson | Texas Instruments |
2017 | Mark Jones Jr | Honda Aircraft |
2015 | Kari Seppanen | Boeing |
2014 | Sam Carbaugh | USAF (Retired) |
2013 | Douglas Bell | Boeing |
2012 | Brooks Faurot | Lockheed |
2011 | Steven Martin | USAF |
2010 | Michael Bartlett | Boeing |
2009 | Andy Hammer | Boeing |
2008 | Edward Breau | Naval Air Systems Cmd. |
2007 | John L. Minor | USAF Test Pilot School |
2006 | James Sergeant | Lockheed Martin |
2005 | Tom Briggs | NAWC AD |
2004 | Joseph Turner Barbara Wood | Boeing QinetiQ |
2003 | Dean Carico | NAWC AD |
2002 | Lee S. Gardner Darcy S. Painter | USAF Flight Test Center USAF Flight Test Center |
2001 | Allan T. Webb | USAF Flight Test Center |
2000 | Alan R. Lawless | NTPS |
1999 | Franz J. Enzinger | Daimler Chrysler Aero |
1998 | Harold E. Weaver | Boeing |
1997 | Clifford E. Moore | Boeing |
1996 | Roger L. Counts | TYBRIN Corporation |
1995 | William Cutler | Northrop Grumman |
1994 | Gosta Niss | Saab-Scania (Retired) |
1993 | J. Roy Combley | Boeing (Retired) |
1992 | John A. Taylor | Veda |
1991 | Wim Dijkshoorn | Fokker |
1988 | Clayton Houston | Lockheed |
1987 | George P. Gayes Ronald E. Hart | Grumman USAF Flight Test Center |
1986 | Jack Strier | USAF Flight Test Center |
1985 | Bob Johnstone Roger H. Jones | USAF Flight Test Center Boeing |
Jesualdo Martinez Award Winners
Year | Recipient | Affiliation |
2019 | Gerard Desbois | Airbus (Retired) |
Nominations
Nominations for these awards, except the Directors award, are accepted from individual members and chapters. Director award nominations are accepted from chapters only. Nominations with supporting rationale and recommendations should be submitted to SFTE HQ. Individuals or teams nominated do not have to be members but are encouraged to join.