Annual Aviation Awards

Each year the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructor Association along with the Federal Aviation Administration honors several individuals who have shown exceptional dedication to their profession as flight instructors, to the aviation community, and have been an inspiration to other pilots and instrucors.  

These awards are presented during the annual Aviation Awards Banquet held at the Maryland Heights Centre. Scroll down for more information on these awards.

---

General Aviation Awards Program

Application & Information

The mission of the General Aviation Awards program is to recognize individual aviation professionals on the local, regional, and national levels for their contributions to aviation, education, and flight safety. The program is a cooperative effort between more than a dozen general aviation industry sponsors and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award

Application & Information

The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award recognizes the efforts of pilots who have followed and continue to follow the precaution and awareness of safe operations. Most of all, FAA recognizes pilots who have contributed and maintained safe flight operations for 50 or more consecutive years of piloting aircraft.

James G. Byrnes Aviation Excellence Award

Jim Byrnes was an icon of St. Louis Aviation. Every year the GSLFIA selects an individual who has dedicated their life to promoting the advancement of aviaiton in this region. Click Here for a biography of Mr. Byrnes and a list of previous recipeients.

New CFI of the Year Award

Each year the GSLFIA recognizes a new flight instructor (less than five years as a CFI) who in that time has consistently demonstrated professionalism, focus on safety, participation in public aviation education, ability to adapt to students learning styles, and support of the local aviation community. The selected CFI is an aviation professional who will influence their peers to obtain and maintain the same professional standards.

St. Louis CFI of the Year

Each year the GSLFIA recognizes a flight instructor who has in that time has consistently demonstrated professionalism, focus on safety, participation in public aviation education, ability to adapt to students learning styles, and support of the local aviation community. The selected CFI is an aviation professional who will influence their peers to obtain and maintain the same professional standards.

The St. Louis Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year will be supported and encouraged to apply for the FAA National Aviation Awards Program for the following year.

FAASTeam Representative of the Year

GSLFIA honors an individual who has gone "above and beyond" in dedicating themselves to serving the aviation community through their volunteer work as a FAA Safety Team Rep.

Regional & National FAA CFI of the Year

Application & Information

The General Aviation Awards Program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized a small group of aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics and safety for their contributions to aviation safety and education.

The selection process begins at local Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) and then moves on to the nine regional FAA offices. Panels of aviation professionals within the various fields then select the four national winners. The current FAA Administrator will present this year's awards at EAA AirVenture 2011 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

These awards highlight the important role played by these individuals in promoting aviation safety and education, said JoAnn Hill, General Aviation Awards Committee chairman. The awards program sponsors are pleased that these outstanding aviation professionals will receive the recognition they so richly deserve before their peers in Oshkosh.