Kelly Johnson Award
This is an individual award that honors outstanding achievement in the field of Flight Test Engineering. The Kelly Johnson Award was first awarded in 1973 and is the society‘s oldest running award.
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.
2024 Winner
Carla Jackson
The Kelly Johnson award for outstanding achievement in Flight Test was presented to Carla Jackson. This award recognized 38 years of excellence in flight test along with significant service to the Society.
Over Carla's career she has demonstrated consistent professionalism, commitment and willingness to go the extra mile. Her roles are too numerous to list in full, but she has played a role in a wide range of programs, including B-2, P-3, VH-71, led T&E programs in Air Combat Electronics, Air Traffic Management and Aircrew Systems, and is now in a leadership role in Hypersonic Test and Evaluation for the US Navy.
In addition to her professional career she has been an active member of SFTE for many years, supporting Tech Council, contributing greatly to the Pax River chapter and leading the team who ran the hugely successful 2023 Symposium in Annapolis. She is a Fellow of the society, and is well known as a mentor and example to young engineers throughout the industry.
The 2024 Kelly Johnson award is a truly well deserved recognition for Carla's achievements.
Award Criteria
"Kelly Johnson Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Flight Test Engineering"
Recognizes a single individual for their impact on and contributions within the field of flight test engineering.
The nominee does not need to be a SFTE member, but the nomination can only be submitted by a SFTE member. Nominations must be received by midnight Pacific Daylight Time (U.S.) on July 31st. Please submit only one written nomination per candidate. The nomination submission should be of no more than 5 pages in length and should make a case for why the nominee deserves to receive the society’s highest individual award. It can include testimonials. The Board of Directors select the awardee. They would most like to learn about this person’s impact in addition to their achievements. Please minimize lists of statistics and specialized jargon in the nomination. Please do not include any proprietary or restricted-access information. Of particular interest will be vignettes, or short stories that could be shared when announcing the award recipient. The Board of Directors will be looking for accomplishments and qualities that encourage all of us within SFTE and industry at large to strive toward making similar contributions.
Be advised, the Board of Directors will request a well-produced multimedia presentation highlighting test programs or other significant contributions the nominee has made over the course of their career. This presentation/video will accompany the award presentation which forms a centerpoint of the Annual Awards Banquet (live webcast) following the Symposium. These materials will be requested only after the nominee has been chosen for the award. Assistance will also be requested from the individual making the nomination to coordinate the award recipient’s attendance at the Awards Banquet if possible. Please be aware the Board wishes to keep the identity of the award recipient a surprise for the general audience when announced at the Awards Banquet.
Background - This award dates back to 1973 when the inaugural award was bestowed upon its namesake. The Society’s bylaws name this award. Since a bylaw amendment in 2006, the award has been for a single individual.
Previous Recipients
Year | Recipient | Affiliation | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Carla Jackson | US Navy | |
| 2023 | Juan "Silv" Jurado | USAF Test Pilot School |  |
2022 | Giorgio Clementi | ITPS Canada |  |
2021 | James Sergeant | Lockheed Martin | |
2020 | Kristen Finnegan | CH-53K LHD Shipboard Test Team | |
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 |