The Collier Trophy represents a timeline of excellence in United States aviation and aerospace. Awarded annually since 1911 “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics and astronautics in America”, it has honored many of the nation’s most outstanding individuals, companies, organizations, and their groundbreaking accomplishments.

This year, we are thrilled to celebrate the NASA/Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab Parker Solar Probe Team as the 2024 Collier Trophy recipient. Join us on June 12th as we recognize the groundbreaking achievement of the team behind the Parker Solar Probe—the first spacecraft to touch the sun.

Tickets and sponsorships are available for purchase! Join us for a sun-sational celebration!

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) is pleased to announce our aviation records celebration will take place this year in Wichita, Kansas on July 11th.

As the official record keeper for United States aviation, the NAA tracks dozens of world and national record attempts each year. New U.S. records are certified and those qualifying as world records are then ratified with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). At the end of each year, under the direction of the NAA Contest and Records Department, records certified for that year are reviewed and a list of the “most memorable” is created. The records and record setters are honored at NAA’s Annual Aviation Records Celebration, and we hope you can join us.

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced today that William “Bill” R. Harris, Jr., Executive Director of the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA), has been selected as the 2025 Bruce Whitman Memorial Trophy recipient. 

Serving as Director since 1995, Harris oversees communicating AAAA initiatives to senior government leaders, coordinating the Army Aviation Caucus of 52 U.S. Congressmen, publishing Army Aviation Magazine, and providing membership and meeting planning services, including the 10,000-attendee annual Summit and various classified and unclassified Army Aviation meetings. 

Established in 2019 by the NAA Board of Directors, the Bruce Whitman Memorial Trophy honors outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to aviation or aerospace in the United States and who, by working with museums and other institutions, have promoted an appreciation by students and the broader public of the sacrifices and legacy of military service members. Created in honor of the aerospace executive and philanthropist bearing its name, Whitman was posthumously named the first trophy recipient in 2019.

Read the full press release

On February 28th, the National Aeronautic Association President & CEO Amy Marino Spowart participated in the 100th record attempt for the Bombardier Global 7500 flying from San Luis Obispo to London-Biggin Hill Airport covering 4,729 NM, this flight took 9 hours and 17 minutes.

Other flights that contributed to the 100 speed records by the Global 7500 include flights between cities like Tokyo, Japan and San Francisco, California; Oakland, California and Tokyo; Hartford, Connecticut and Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Tokyo and Toronto, Canada; and finally London, England and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Since the Global 7500 entered into service in December 2018, the fleet has amassed 220,000 flying hours thus far, a number that Bombardier said “sets the stage” for the successor and even speedier Global 8000 at the end of the year.

Photo (left to right): Amy Marino Spowart (NAA President & CEO); Mark Burns (Gulfstream Aerospace President);

Art Greenfield (NAA SVP Contest & Records)

On April 26th, the National Aeronautic Association joined Gulfstream in New York to celebrate its 700th city-pair speed record, a Gulfstream G700 flight from Taipei to Miami. This flight also commemorated the 50th anniversary of Gulfstream’s first U.S. National Aeronautic Association (NAA) accredited speed record, set in 1975 by the Gulfstream GII. 

The G700 traveled 7,740 nautical miles/14,334 kilometers in 14 hours and 38 minutes at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.87 during its April 1 flight from Taipei to Miami. Gulfstream’s first speed record in 1975 was set by the GII on a flight from St. John’s, Antigua, to Dakar, Senegal. 

After only one year in service, the G700 has already surpassed 80 city-pair speed records, a rate faster than the Gulfstream G650 and G650ER, which now contribute more than 130 speed records to the Gulfstream fleet. 

Belcan, LLC (a Cognizant company), a global supplier of design, software, manufacturing, supply chain, information technology, and digital engineering solutions to the aerospace, defense, space, automotive, industrial, marine, and government services markets, today announced that it has been named Supplier of the Year by GE Aerospace. The Supplier of the Year award recognizes the business that exemplifies excellence in all key aspects of a valued supplier, including safety, quality, delivery, innovation, and partnership, and Belcan was selected among over 250 suppliers.

Belcan was presented with the award at the GE Supplier Symposium Awards Dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 5, 2025, marking the first supplier symposium held in over 5 years.

For over 55 years, Belcan’s partnership with GE Aerospace has been built on a foundation of earned trust and unparallelled industry expertise. With Belcan’s headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, a delivery center in Lynn, Massachusetts, along with offices in the UK, Poland, Mexico, and India, Belcan is located close to some of GE Aerospace’s largest facilities and provides solutions to GE Aerospace around the globe.

Read the full Press Release

Blue Origin successfully completed its 11th human spaceflight for the New Shepard program. The astronaut crew included Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez, who brought the mission together.

Taking off on April 14th from the Blue Origin Launch Site southeast of El Paso, Texas, NS-31 lasted 10 minutes and 21 seconds passing the Kármán line.

NS-31 was the first spaceflight with only female space passengers since the 1963 Vostok 6 solo mission.

Read the full Press Release

RTX has entered into three agreements with JetZero, the developer of a novel blended wing body aircraft, to provide key systems for the airframer's full-scale demonstrator. Pratt & Whitney will integrate the PW2040 engine and auxiliary power unit (APU); and Collins Aerospace will provide the nacelle and propulsion mounting structure.

JetZero aims to achieve a 50% reduction in fuel burn based on the aerodynamic efficiency of the blended wing and is planning test flights beginning in 2027. Under the new agreements, RTX will provide the following systems for JetZero's demonstrator:

• Pratt & Whitney will integrate its PW2040 engine. The PW2000 engine family offers 37,000 to 43,000 pounds of thrust and powers all models of the Boeing 757 aircraft, with the F117 military derivative engine serving as the exclusive powerplant for the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The PW2040 model engine also powers the U.S. Air Force's C-32A aircraft, the military version of the 757. 
• Pratt & Whitney Canada will provide the APS3200, an APU that employs the latest in advanced manufacturing techniques, including the use of composites. Nearly 3,800 APS3200 units have been manufactured and certified for aircraft.
• Collins Aerospace will design and build nacelle structures including the inlet, fan cowl and fan duct, in addition to fairings and the engine support structure. Collins has designed, certified and manufactured nacelles for large commercial aircraft programs for decades, including Boeing 787, Airbus A350, A320neo, A220 and Embraer E2.

Read the full Press Release

The aviation community lost an amazing and inspiring aerobatic pilot on April 24th, American Aerobatic Champion Rob Holland.

A legendary aerobatic pilot, Rob Holland flew in air shows for over 20 years and stunned crowds around the nation with his aerobatic maneuvers and techniques.

His accolades include: 

  •  13x Consecutive US National Champion (Unlimited) 

  •  14x US National Freestyle Champion 

  •  6x World Freestyle Champion

  •  10x U.S. Unlimited National Team Member

  •  Awarded over 38 National and International Medals 

  •  Named Honorary Blue Angel 

  •  Art Scholl Award for Sportsmanship 

  •  Honorary Canadian Snowbird 

  •  The driving force to secure the 2026 World Aerobatic Championships for Batavia, NY, a major achievement for the sport in the U.S.

Donations can be made to the Rob Holland Memorial providing support for the U.S. Aerobatic Championships.

The United States hosted the 5th FAI World Indoor Skydiving Championships in Formation Skydiving from April 8th to 13th in Raeford, North Carolina.

During the event, the U.S. team placed in each of the four formations including 1st place in the 8-way formation skydiving, 2nd in both 4-way formation skydiving and 4-way vertical formation skydiving, and 3rd place in 4-way formation skydiving female.

The U.S. took home another medal at the World Indoor Skydiving Championships - Artistic Events that took place in Belgium, placing 2nd in Dynamic Flying Solo Speed.

Congratulations to all the winners!