Upcoming Workshops

Darren McDonald Award Citation

Darren McDonald of The Boeing Company is a recognized expert in minimum control speed testing and has introduced innovative concepts that improve risk management and provide more repeatable test results. He has assumed a leadership role while interfacing with flight test specialists at major manufacturers from around the world. His insight to find new risk management opportunities, and his ability to bring them to fruition has garnered the respect and admiration of test pilots and flight test engineers throughout the aerospace community. Congratulations, Darren!

LT Mark Hargrove, USN and Barbara Gordon Award Citation

USNTPS flight test education is a multi-faceted effort and the ASO and SO serve a critical and enduring role in that total-immersion training of critical thinking and risk assessment. Ms. Gordon and LT Hargrove have taken safety promotion to the next level by incorporating actions to foster and maintain a positive safety climate, safety communication, and safety training into flight test safety education.  They have codified the traits of the command safety culture and those principles are what the command imbues in its flight test professionals.  They ensure risk assessment and test hazard analysis are inculcated in every process from the classroom to the cockpit.  By its own nature, USNTPS is a high-velocity learning environment and it is only able to safely accomplish its unique mission by placing the proper emphasis on safety. The actual safety practices and values the command strives to uphold become the safety cornerstone that the students experience and take with them as they progress in their flight test careers. Ms. Gordon and LT Hargrove are the driving force in the accomplishment of safe flight test training. 

Terrance Pearce Award Citation

Terry’s industry-leading expertise is the result of a 25-year focus on Flight Test Safety and Accident Investigation at Boeing, Eclipse Aviation, Learjet, and Bombardier Aerospace.  While at Boeing, Terry served as a key technical investigator for the highly-public B-52 and AWACs aircraft accidents, which claimed the lives of all 24 airman onboard.  These events changed the course of Terry’s career.  He joined Learjet and earned a position as Flight Test Engineer on the prototype Challenger 300 and was then asked to be the company’s Lead Safety Investigator.

In 2004 Terry was hired by Eclipse Aviation as Lead Safety Investigator and flew as a Production Test Pilot.  In addition to forming Eclipse’s Safety Investigation Team, he managed the Flight Test Safety Review Board program and served as Chairman.

In 2009, Terry joined the Bombardier Flight Test Center and was promoted to Flight Test Safety Officer, responsible for all safety aspects of Bombardier’s flight test programs.

Terry’s initiative has revamped every aspect of the company’s test planning, safety review, and test execution.  To enable a proactive safety culture, Terry established the Test Center’s Safety Committee.  Since its inception, the Committee has successfully resolved over 800 safety issues, successfully preventing numerous potential mishaps.

His proactive safety focus is vital to Bombardier’s success. Under his watchful eye for nearly a decade, Bombardier has successfully certified many Part 25 aircraft including Bombardier’s first full fly-by-wire aircraft, the C-Series. Terry’s oversight has been instrumental in the ongoing Global 7000 certification testing as well as many new capabilities added to the existing product line.  Terry’s leadership as Bombardier’s Flight Test Safety Officer has ensured the safe and effective execution of over 1,600 flight test sorties annually.

Mark Skoog Award Citation

Mark has led the effort to continue to advance the capability and accessibility of Auto GCAS technology.  He has made numerous design contributions, significantly improving digital terrain data understanding, fidelity and data handling methods. Additionally, he led software development improvements significantly reducing verification times.  His most recent improvements to the technology have adapted it to civil and unmanned aircraft as well as broadening the scope of the technology to address many more flight safety issues such as staying within approved airspace boundaries, avoiding other aircraft.  Over the course of Mark’s career he has led 2 different flight test programs on this collision avoidance technology. Many of these programs required hazardous testing for which he developed test techniques and tools which remain the standard for this type testing today. I was shown a copy of a letter yesterday from a F-16 pilot, in the letter he said that the Auto GCAS saved his life and he hoped to have the opportunity to someday shake the hands of the men and women who developed it.  Mark’s work has saved lives and makes him truly deserving of the recognition afforded by this award.

Warren A. Hansen Award Citation

Warren is the Chief Pilot, Safety and Standardization for Textron Aviation.  He has been involved in flight test for 35 years graduating from Class 81A at the USAF Test Pilot School. He joined then Cessna in 2001.  After the fatal crash of a Challenger 604 test aircraft, Warren led the safety team to ensure the lessons learned from that company’s accident were adopted into Cessna’s best practices. In 2002, Warren was instrumental in creating the Company’s Engineering Flight Test Safety program.  Warren’s proactive attitude to risk assessment has ensured Textron Aviation remains prepared to address the risks associated with new technologies and aircraft capabilities.  , Warren provided safety oversight for the Scorpion jet which successfully went from concept to first flight in less than 24 months. During his tenure Warren has been responsible for the flight test risk management of all experimental programs’  His knowledge, leadership and guidance in promoting enhanced flight test safety is to be commended and is richly deserving of the recognition afforded by the presentation of the 2016 Tony Levier award. 

Larry Flynn Award Citation

Following a tragic flight test accident that resulted in the loss of four flight test professionals and a GVI prototype aircraft, gulfstream embarked on a journey to discover true causal factors, implement corrective actions and embrace a renewed focus on safety company-wide. The impetus for change came from then-company-president, Mr. Larry Flynn. Under his leadership, gulfstream   implemented the recommendations from the NTSB and conducted two external flight test safety reviews by teams comprised of highly experienced flight test professionals, several from this society. His leadership, and the corresponding efforts from his staff as well as the engineering and flight test teams, enabled Gulfstream to markedly improve its safety culture by creating a corporate safety office, along with advancements in technical tools, methodologies and process documentation. Concurrently, gulfstream was very proactive in conducting briefings to the flight test community to share accident lessons learned to civil, military, and industry forums; several conducted jointly with investigators from the NTSB. Mr. Flynn set the safety culture by fully committing to provide resources, openness, and support for flight test safety awareness and improvement both internally to gulfstream, and externally to the flight test community. His leadership, along with the efforts of his staff and those within engineering and flight test, in promoting enhanced flight test safety is to be commended and is richly deserving of the recognition afforded by the presentation of the 2015 Tony Levier award. 

Ben Luther Award Citation

Ben Luther is a very recognizable name with the flight test profession.  He has authored numerous papers and presented at many forums.  At Gulfstream, Ben was the principal author of tailored standards and auditing protocols unique to flight test organizations working synergistically with the FTSC. He was integral in developing a flight test operational guidance document and personally briefed NTSB investigators on the distinctive aspects of elevated flight test risk and appropriate mitigations.  Ben was relentless in safety promotion, as he understood how critical this was to the success of the SMS. As example, he researched hypoxia training and established a cooperative program with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to provide hypoxia awareness training to all FTEs in their normobaric chamber.  Ben transitioned to flight test engineering and test aircraft manager and continued to provide safety oversight while authoring safety-related papers, presenting informative flight test safety content at symposia, and continuing to explore complex safety science.  His contributions reflect leadership and a total commitment to preventing the escalation of a hazardous conditions by robust safety risk management processes and test execution discipline.  The safety improvements at Gulfstream and those shared with the flight test community could simply have not been realized without Ben’s direct participation and unwavering dedication.

Giorgio Clementi Award Citation

Giorigo Clementi is the CEO and Accountable Manger for International Test Pilot School. He has overseen the operations of ITPS in Canada since 2001, working closely with both Transport Canada and EASA. During his tenure, ITPS has managed to set up and maintain a total commitment to safe flight test and flight test training operations. ITPS operates a fleet of 22 aircraft, most of which operate on Special Flight Permits. Giorgio’s leadership and commitment to establish and develop a dedicated Safety Management System, adapted to flight test and flight test training operations, whilst also meeting the requirements of both Transport Canada and EASA has been considerable. Giorgio is committed to total safety and ensuring best safe practices are maintained. His leadership in promoting a culture of safety, determination to employ best practices,  and total commitment to flight test safety make him a deserving recipient of this award.

Jonathan Lindsey & Michael Remaly Award Citation

The V-22 Integrated Test Team at Patuxent River routinely conducts high risk flight tests requiring deliberate and time critical risk management. In a combined effort between pilots and test directors, Jonathan Lindsey and Michael Remaly from Boeing evolved a proven process of risk management to significantly improve safety during test flights with telemetry monitoring. By expanding the safety process to include all telemetry personnel, they established greater ownership of the safety culture within the test team by recognizing and emphasizing the impact that all telemetry personnel have to safe flight testing. Their leadership and proactive dedication have continued to advance a culture of safety within the team that is committed to consistent improvement and sharing of best practices within the flight test community.

Pat Bearce
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I graduated from USAF TPD in 1986 in Class 86A. My follow on assignment was as a KC-130 Test pilot and C-130 APM for Systems and Engineering at NAVAIR. During this time I was a project pilot pilot for upgraded JATO, Defensive systems, and multiple avionics systems upgrades. After retirement from the Marines in 1990, I was a pilot for Delta Airlines until 2004. From then, till I was hired by Boeing, I was involved in starting and obtaining an operating certificate for Cargo 360, a 747 cargo airline based in Seattle as a management pilot (Flight Technical). Following the sale of that airline, I was hired by Boeing in 2008.

My first test pilot assignment at  Boeing was in the  Military Derivatives group as a general test pilot. I transferred to Commercial programs in 2013 as the 757/767 Chief Pilot. Since employment at Boeing, I have participated full time in GTTA, E-737, FTB, E767, 787-8, 747-8, 747 Intercontinental and  production flight tests. My latest flight assignment was as the Lead Pilot of 787-9 #2 (ZB002) ATC certification project that completed in June 2014. Since 2012, I also have had the additional duty as Project Pilot for KC-46A with focus on ATC/STC and drogue aerial refueling. I am a Flight Test Pilot UM (DER) for the Boeing ODAs in Seattle and Oklahoma City and conduct certification flights on all Boeings commercial models.

Sponsored by Textron Aviation

General

The Hugh Dryden Flight Test Safety Lifetime Achievement Award has been established by the Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) to formally recognize a single individual who, over the course of his or her career, has made significant contributions to flight test safety for the flight test community as a whole or for specific organization(s). This award is specific to flight test safety achievements and contributions and not safety in general.  The factual basis of received nominations will be confirmed.  Nominations for the Hugh Dryden Flight Test Safety Lifetime Achievement Award are reviewed by the Flight Test Safety Committee each year and the most deserving nominee is selected. No award will be made if nominees do not meet the selection criteria. The decision of the Board of Directors is final. The Trophy is officially presented by the corporate sponsor of the award (Textron Aviation) at the North American Flight Test Safety Workshop in the spring of each year.

Selection Criteria

1. A qualified nomination will normally contain details of an individual’s career contributions for flight test safety to program(s), an organization(s) and/or the entire flight test community. The nomination should also document how the individual’s career contributions were shared within their organization and/or the broader flight test community. It must be emphasized that this is meant to be a “career achievement” award and focused on many years of activities. A successful nomination will have several elements directly related to flight test safety. Some example career elements are listed below, but other flight tests safety related elements are welcome.
2. Development of significant flight test safety related technologies, techniques, or methods
3. Development and/or implementation of a durable and successful Flight Test Safety Management System(s)
4. History of presenting or publishing Flight Test Safety related papers
5. History of mentoring Flight test personnel in Flight Test Safety related areas during specific programs, in specific organizations or the flight test community in general.
6. The award is not for general career recognition. It is specific to flight test safety and recognizes an individual’s contribution that is above and beyond what a typical flight test professional would do. Nominations not highlighting exceptional contributions over the individual’s career will not be considered.
   
   

Nomination Guidelines

1. Nominations are solicited and accepted by the Flight Test Safety Committee at any time during the
2. Nominations may be submitted by any individual having sufficient knowledge of the nominee to make the recommendation.
3. Self-nominations are not acceptable.
4. The Nomination form must be presented in writing not later than 7 March for consideration within that calendar year. If not selected, re-submission of award nominations in the next year is appropriate and encouraged.
5. The nomination must contain a compelling leading summary citation, suitable for publishing, highlighting the candidate's overall Career contributions to flight test safety, following the detailed required information described above.
6. Nominations may be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click HERE to Download the Nomination Form

Award Winners

2025 – William "Tony" Randall, Bell

Award Recipients

2007
Dr. Dieter W. Reisinger, Air Transport

2008
Gerard Temme

2009
Pat Svatek

2010
Billie Flynn and Mark Skoog

2011
MajGen Desmond E. Barker, SAAF

2012
Capt. Dave Carbaugh, Boeing Company

2013
Maurice Girard, Bombardier

2014
Gulfstream Aerospace

2015
Daniel Schwenzel, Airbus Helicopters

2016
Not Awarded

2017
Not Awarded

2018
Not Awarded

2019
Not Awarded

2020
Award Retired

Background and Philosophy

The birth of the European Flight Test Safety Award took place during the funeral of Gérard Guillaumaud, who was lost with the second Grob spn prototype in an accident on November 29 th, 2006. His fiancée, Heidi Biermeier, refused to accept that this would be the conclusion of Gérard’s spirit and passion for flying and aircraft, and found the funeral insufficient to honour him and his life’s work. Her very deep wish was to keep Gérard´s memory alive and to initiate a symbol which would pay tribute to Gérard’s life’s work and his constant endeavours to develop and improve safety in test flying. From this event the European Flight Test Safety Award was established by Heidi Biermeier, with support from Gérard’s colleagues and friends Tore Reimers, Al Lawless and Chris Worning.

The European Flight Test Safety Award is based on the following philosophy as its guiding principle:

Gérard Guillaumaud lost his life in execution of his profession, but his spirit will still be alive. Gérard´s passion for flying and aircraft should be a legacy for us for achieving one aim: improving flight test safety.

The final winner of the Gerard Guillamaud European Flight Test Safety Award was presented in 2015.

Award Recipients

2007
Dr. Dieter W. Reisinger, Air Transport

2008
Gerard Temme

2009
Pat Svatek

2010
Billie Flynn and Mark Skoog

2011
MajGen Desmond E. Barker, SAAF

2012
Capt. Dave Carbaugh, Boeing Company

2013
Maurice Girard, Bombardier

2014
Gulfstream Aerospace

2015
Daniel Schwenzel, Airbus Helicopters

2016
Not Awarded

2017
Not Awarded

2018
Not Awarded

2019
Not Awarded

2020
Award Retired

Award Criteria

§ 1 Purpose

The purpose of the European Flight Test Safety Award is to enhance flight test safety in the European flight test community. The award shall serve as a motivation and recognition of an accomplishment in the interest of flight test safety. The accomplishment may either be an exceptional act which contributed to avoiding a test accident, or a presentation within the framework of the European Flight Test Safety Workshop which contributed most to improving flight test safety.

§ 2 Background and Philosophy

The birth of the European Flight Test Safety Award took place during the funeral of Gérard Guillaumaud, who was lost with the second Grob spn prototype in an accident on November 29 th, 2006. His fiancée, Heidi Biermeier, refused to accept that this would be the conclusion of Gérard’s spirit and passion for flying and aircraft, and found the funeral insufficient to honour him and his life’s work. Her very deep wish was to keep Gérard´s memory alive and to initiate a symbol which would pay tribute to Gérard’s life’s work and his constant endeavours to develop and improve safety in test flying. From this event the European Flight Test Safety Award was established by Heidi Biermeier, with support from Gérard’s colleagues and friends Tore Reimers, Al Lawless and Chris Worning.

 The European Flight Test Safety Award is based on the following philosophy as its guiding principle:

Gérard Guillaumaud lost his life in execution of his profession, but his spirit will still be alive. Gérard´s passion for flying and aircraft should be a legacy for us for achieving one aim: improving flight test safety.

§ 3 Award Trophy

The EFTSA trophy has been developed, manufactured and donated by Grob Aerospace GmbH in 21 specimens. 20 trophies are intended to be handed out over the years 2007 to 2026, the 21st trophy will be the master specimen which will stay at the SETP headquarters in California.

The trophy is made of polished carbon fibre and brass, and bears the following inscriptions, symbols and placeholders:

The inscription “European Flight Test Safety Award”.
The SETP logo.
A placeholder for the year, to be engraved.
A placeholder for the name of the winner, to be engraved.
The inscription “In the spirit of Gérard Guillaumaud 1961-2006”.

§ 4 Nomination

All presentations made during the European FTSW workshop are automatically nominated for the EFTSA.

For nominations related to an exceptional act in the interest of flight safety, the nomination shall be submitted in writing to the Flight Test Safety Committee not later than one month prior to the planned date of the European FTSW. The nomination may be submitted by any individual or organization, and may be submitted via mail, fax, email or the SETP web site:

Flight Test Safety Committee c/o SETP, P.O. Box 986, Lancaster, CA 93584
Fax. 661-940-0398
E-mail. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web site. http://www.setp.org/table/awards/

§ 5 Selection Criteria and Decision

The award winner will be decided by the European FTSW organisational committee under the leadership of the committee chairman during the course of the proceedings of the annual European FTSW.

The award can be presented to an individual or a team of individuals.

§ 6 Presentation and Award Handover

The award winner and the award trophy will be announced and presented at an appropriate stage of the event. When possible, the trophy should be presented by Heidi Biermeier.

A press release package presenting the award winner and a description of his or her contribution towards improving flight test safety shall be prepared by the FTSW organizational committee and forwarded to the SETP headquarters for later inclusion in the SETP cockpit magazine and other relevant aviation publications.

§ 7 Alternative plan

If the yearly European FTSW has to be cancelled for whatever reason, the EFTSA award for that year will be transferred to the European SETP symposium the following year, and the winner will be decided upon and presented by the European SETP organisational committee.

§ 8 Acknowledgements

Heidi Biermeier thanks the Flight Test Safety Committee and SETP leadership and Grob Aerospace GmbH for supporting her efforts to establish the EFTSA.

Sponsored by Gentex Corporation

Award Winners

1998 – AFTI/F-16, Ground Collision Avoidance

*1999 – Eric E. Fiore, Bombardier Aerospace

2000 – Rodrigo J. Huete, FAA

*2001 – David Houle, Former President of SFTE

*2002 – Bruce A. Peterson

2003 – Auto ACAS Team

2004 – LCDR William Patton, Aviation Safety Officer and Program Manager; and
              Mr. Thomas Roberts, Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Safety Manager, Navel Test Wing Atlantic
              (NTWL) Safety Office

2005 – Ralph Mohr

2006 – Terry Smith

2007 – John Cashman

2008 - Flight Test Safety Data Base Team (FTSDB) - Barton Henwood, NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center;
             Rodrigo Huete, FAA New York Aircraft Certification Office;
             John Hed FAA, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office; and
             Greg Lewis, National Test Pilot School

2009 - Jerry “Mac” McCawley

2010 – David Downey, Bell Helicopter

2011 – Thomas E. Roberts, NAVAIR

2012 – The Boeing Company 787 Flight Test Team – Michael Carriker, Randall Neville, Jennifer-Ellen Gessler
           The FAA 787 Flight Test Team – Eugene Arnold, John Hed

2013 - Art Tomassetti

2014 - Terry Lutz, Airbus

2015 - Larry Flynn, Gulfstream Aerospace (Award Citation)

2016 - Warren A. Hansen, Textron Aviation (Award Citation)

2017 - Mark Skoog, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center (Award Citation)

2018 - Terrance Pearce, Bombardier Aerospace (Award Citation)

2019 - Barbara Gordon, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and LT Mark Hargrove, USN (Award Citation)

2020 - Darren McDonald, The Boeing Company (Award Citation)

2021 - Ben Luther, Nova Systems (Award Citation)

2022 - Giorgio Clementi, International Test Pilots School Canada (Award Citation)

2023 - Jonathan Lindsey, The Boeing Company & Michael Remaly, The Boeing Company (Award Citation)

2024 - MSgt Joshua Thorn, USAF, TSgt Christopher Schiller, USAF, Matthew Toppin, MTSI

* Deceased

Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award

The Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award was established by the Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) to formally recognize a single individual, or group of individuals, who over some period of time, has made a significant flight test safety contribution to a specific program, organization, or the flight test profession as a whole. Nominations for the Tony LeVier Flight Test Safety Award are reviewed by the Flight Test Safety Committee and the most deserving nominee from the past year is selected. The recipient(s) is announced at the North American Flight Test Safety Workshop in the Spring of each year. The distinctive flight helmet trophy (pictured above) is officially presented by the corporate sponsor of the award (The Gentex Corporation) at the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) Annual Awards Banquet in the Fall.  Read More...

Hugh Dryden Flight Test Safety Lifetime Achievement Award 

The Hugh Dryden Flight Test Safety Lifetime Achievement Award has been established by the Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) to formally recognize a single individual who, over the course of his or her career, has made significant contributions to flight test safety for the flight test community as a whole or for specific organization(s). This award is specific to flight test safety achievements and contributions and not safety in general.  The factual basis of received nominations will be confirmed.  Nominations for the Hugh Dryden Flight Test Safety Lifetime Achievement Award are reviewed by the Flight Test Safety Committee each year and the most deserving nominee is selected. No award will be made if nominees do not meet the selection criteria. The decision of the Board of Directors is final. The Trophy is officially presented by the corporate sponsor of the award (Textron Aviation) at the North American Flight Test Safety Workshop in the spring of each year. Read More...

Gerard Guillamaud European Flight Test Safety Award (Inactive)

The purpose of the European Flight Test Safety Award is to enhance flight test safety in the European flight test community. The award shall serve as a motivation and recognition of an accomplishment in the interest of flight test safety. The accomplishment may either be an exceptional act which contributed to avoiding a test accident, or a presentation within the framework of the European Flight Test Safety Workshop which contributed most to improving flight test safety. Read More...