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Advancing the art, sport, and science of aviation since 1905 | | From the President's Chair: The Integrity of the Record | | |
Dear NAA Members,
One thing I have come to appreciate about NAA is how much important work happens quietly, behind the scenes, and few groups demonstrate that better than our Contest & Records Board.
Their history is extraordinary. Orville Wright served for many years as Chair of the NAA Contest & Records Board, helping establish a tradition of encouraging aviators to compete, set records, and push the boundaries of flight.
Then, as American aviation moved into space, the NAA followed. During the space race, the NAA helped document achievements that redefined what human flight could be, and that work continues today. When someone attempts an American aviation or space record, the Contest & Records Board helps ensure that the achievement has been independently observed, carefully documented, and measured against established standards. Their work is what gives an NAA record its credibility.
While the technology has changed dramatically since Orville Wright chaired the Board, the responsibility has not. The members of the Contest & Records Board give NAA an extraordinary amount of their time, knowledge, and expertise. They are technical experts, observers, and, in many ways, stewards of more than a century of American aviation and aerospace history.
We simply could not fulfill our mission without them.
Every record represents someone willing to see how much farther, faster, or higher we can go - or to accomplish something never done before. The Contest & Records Board ensures those achievements are documented and preserved for generations to come.
To the Contest & Records Board members, past and present: thank you for carrying forward one of NAA's oldest and most vital responsibilities.
Amy
Amy Spowart
President and CEO
National Aeronautic Association
| | NAA Fall Awards: Celebrating Excellence in Aviation | | |
The National Aeronautic Association will celebrate an exceptional group of
aviation and aerospace leaders at the
2026 NAA Fall Awards Dinner on
November 5th in Washington, D.C.
This year’s honorees represent the very best of aviation, from military leadership and aerospace education to public benefit flying, aviation advocacy, and service to the industry.
Among the distinguished recipients are:
Also, the 2026 Distinguished Statesman and Stateswoman of Aviation Awards:
- Kate Cooper-Jensen
- Jeff Goin
- Thomas Haines
- Sara Nelson
- Brian Utley
The evening will also recognize this year’s Public Benefit Flying Award recipients, honoring individuals and organizations whose dedication to volunteer aviation has made a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Recipients are:
- Ace Ellinwood
- Brenda Walsh
- Mark Hanson
- Project Airtime
- Douglas Wohl
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and 2025 recipient Rolf Wallin
Join Us in Celebrating! We look forward to honoring this remarkable group on
November 5 in Washington, D.C.
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Thank you, members, for your continued support of the NAA. We truly appreciate having you in our community!
- As we look ahead to 2027, we’re excited to update our membership systems and implement a new CRM to better serve our members.
- Beginning in 2027, memberships with FAI Sporting Licenses will no longer auto-renew. Annual renewal lets us verify citizenship and ensure license holders acknowledge and agree to abide by the FAI Sporting Code.
And if you’re not yet a member, we’d love to have you join us -JOIN TODAY!
| Making Artemis II History Official | |
The NAA will join the President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the Aero Club of Canada leadership in Houston later this month to formally present the historic records set by the Artemis II crew.
During their mission, the crew traveled higher and farther from Earth than any humans in history, establishing new world records for altitude and distance from Earth. Christina Koch also established both records in the female category.
The presentation will take place during the crew’s final public appearance together, making the occasion particularly meaningful. It is a tremendous honor for NAA to join the crew and our international partners in recognizing these historic achievements.
This moment also reflects the tremendous work of NAA’s Contest & Records Board, whose members carefully reviewed and certified the records before FAI ratified them.
Read more about the Artemis II records here.
| | NAA and the History of American Spaceflight | |
The NAA’s history of documenting and recognizing American achievement in space dates back to the very beginning of human spaceflight, when we were still exploring where aviation ended and space began.
The X-15 program perhaps illustrates that better than anything. The rocket-powered aircraft pushed the boundaries between aviation and space throughout the early 1960s. In 1963, NASA pilot Joe Walker flew the X-15 beyond the 100-kilometer Kármán line twice, ultimately reaching 108 kilometers above Earth. The program also provided critical research that contributed to Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and eventually the Space Shuttle.
At the same time, America’s human spaceflight program was advancing rapidly. From Mercury through Gemini and Apollo, the NAA helped document historic achievements, while our Robert J. Collier Trophy recognized many of the people and programs behind them, including the Mercury 7 astronauts, Apollo 8, and Apollo 11. That tradition has continued through the International Space Station, the James Webb Space Telescope, and now into a new era in which commercial spaceflight plays an increasingly important role.
In 2024, the privately crewed Polaris Dawn mission reached approximately 875 miles above Earth and completed the first commercial spacewalk. Crew members Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon established an NAA national altitude record, becoming the women who had traveled farthest from Earth at that time. And in 2025, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 completed the first fully successful commercial lunar landing, an achievement recognized with the Robert J. Collier Trophy.
From the X-15 and the first American astronauts to Apollo and today’s commercial space missions, both the technology and the organizations leading the way have changed dramatically. NAA’s responsibility has remained remarkably consistent: to document and recognize the achievements that move aerospace forward.
| | FYI: You Don't Have to Be an Astronaut to Set an NAA Record! | | |
NAA records aren't just for astronauts, test pilots, and high-performance jets. You can set records in everything from balloons and gliders to parachutes, model aircraft, ultralights, and small single-engine airplanes. In fact, NAA's searchable database includes more than 8,200 records.
Think you have a record in you? You just might! Learn more here.
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Greg Principato to be Inducted into the
Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame
The NAA extends its warmest congratulations to our former President and CEO, Gregory Principato, on his upcoming induction into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame.
Selected by the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society (VAHS), Greg is being recognized for decades of extraordinary leadership, advocacy, and enduring contributions to advancing national and international aviation.
The official induction ceremony will take place during the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society's annual reception and dinner on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Ford's Colony Country Club in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Please join the entire NAA board, staff, and membership in celebrating Greg on this outstanding achievement and well-merited honor!
| | | | On the Radar: What We’re Following | | | There is a lot happening across aviation and air sports this fall, and a few things we’ll be watching closely:
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Team USA on the World Stage. We’re cheering on the Americans representing the United States at FAI World Championships worldwide. Team USA is competing across several air sports this fall, including ballooning and skydiving, with some World Championships taking place right here in the United States. We look forward to following their performances and celebrating the athletes representing our country.
Let's go TeamUSA!
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A Cessna Caravan Makes History. We’re also following an impressive milestone involving one of aviation’s most proven aircraft platforms. A Cessna 208B Caravan, equipped with Joby Aviation’s autonomous flight technology, recently completed a 3,199-mile flight from California to North Carolina with no control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. The flight included autonomous taxi, takeoff, navigation, and landing. It is an interesting example of how a proven aircraft from NAA member Textron Aviation is being paired with new technology to explore what may be possible in the future of flight.
Plenty is happening across our community, with plenty of American achievement to follow and celebrate.
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Are you a member with a record attempt in the works?
Did you or a team member achieve a major milestone?
We want to hear about it!
Use the guide below to submit your update for our next newsletter.
Submit Your News Here!
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What we’re looking for:
- Record Rumors: Are you prepping a bird for a speed or altitude attempt? Give us the "behind-the-scenes" on your prep.
- Workplace or Organization Milestones: Did you or a friend or colleague just hit an anniversary or take part in a successful record attempt, airsport event, or other exciting program?
- Innovator Spotlights: Know a member who just hit a career high or launched a new aerospace project?
- Photo of the Month: Send us your best high-res shot of NAA members in action.
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The National Aeronautic Association doesn’t just record history—we celebrate the people making it. Use this form to nominate an individual or organization that embodies the “art, sport, and science of aviation."
Nominations and recognition are member benefits. Join today and prepare to share your hero soon!
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The National Aeronautic Association doesn’t just record history -
we celebrate the people making it.
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