Velkoff Award for Outstanding Technical Paper – Matthew S. Whalley, Marc D. Takahashi, M. Hossein Mansur, LTC Carl R. Ott, MAJ Joseph S. Minor, MAJ Zachariah G. Morford, Ernesto Moralez, Marcos G. Berrios, Chad L. Goerzen, and Gregory J. Schulein, in recognition for the following paper titled “Flight Test Results for a New Mission-Adaptive Autonomy System on the RASCAL JUH-60A Black Hawk”. This 31-page paper was selected as the best of the Unmanned VTOL Aircraft and Rotorcraft Sessions at the AHS 72nd Annual Forum, West Palm Beach, Florida, May 17–19, 2016.
Schroers Award for Outstanding Rotorcraft Research – Degraded Visual Environment Mitigation (DVE-M) Team – MAJ Joseph S. Minor, MAJ Zachariah G. Morford, Richard W. Huber, Zoltan P. Szobozslay, Brian T. Fujizawa, Jeffery A. Lusardi, Nathan L. Mielcarek, John Archdeacon, and Michael J. Irish – is recognized for completing over 75 flight test hours in the AFDD EH-60L during NATO field trials held at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, September 2016 and Alpnach Switzerland & Manching, Germany, February 2017. These flight tests demonstrated potent technical solutions to a vexing operational problem through a novel and sophisticated combination of guidance displays, flight control laws and aircrew cueing technologies which were used in conjunction with sensor imagery provided through the Communication and Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC).
Franklin Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Powered-Lift Field –Ben Lawrence, for his contributions to the field of rotorcraft handling qualities as applied to future advanced powered lift concepts. His research on the fundamental engineering principles of flight dynamics and handling qualities, and his subsequent application of the research to powered lift concepts including the Large Commercial Tiltrotor (LCTR), the High Efficiency Tiltrotor (HETR), and several helicopter, compound helicopter, and other rotorcraft concepts has provided the VTOL flight community with a generalized tool for the integration of handling qualities analysis into advanced rotorcraft design. This generalized tool, called SIMPLI-FLYD, allows for assessment of handling qualities using only the limited amount of detailed information on a vehicle’s technical characteristics that is available at the early conceptual design stage.
Award for Outstanding Contribution to the AHS Local Chapter – Anita I. Abrego, for her contributions to the local AHS chapter. As Community Outreach Chair, Ms. Abrego supported and fostered relationships with personnel of the Eastside College Preparatory High School. She enabled and fully coordinated the first freshman class tour of Ames, in 2006, and all subsequent tours through 2016. While serving on the board of directors, Anita was an enthusiastic supporter of chapter events, providing feedback and guidance at the board meetings, attending fundraisers and technical presentations, and mentoring the incoming board of directors annually.
Award for Outstanding Technical Support – Patrick M. Shinoda is recognized, in his capacity as Chief Engineer for the operation of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, for his keen eye, technical rigor, and diligence that enabled a remarkable series of tests in late 2016 and early 2017 involving novel articles for the US Army, NASA, DARPA, the Department of Energy, and the rotorcraft industry. He is also recognized for his 43 years of service to the United States Government. Rick’s many accomplishments are well recognized by the US rotorcraft community, making direct contributions to countless wind tunnel research programs and developing the infrastructure used to execute a majority of the Nation’s large scale rotorcraft wind tunnel testing. Mr. Shinoda has also improved worldwide rotorcraft research through his technical leadership on the American Helicopter Society (AHS) International’s Test and Evaluation Technical Committee and through direct mentorship of dozens of young researchers and engineers.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Franklin D. Harris is recognized for his service to advancing the field of vertical flight aeronautics over the past 50 years. Mr. Harris has conducted pioneering research in rotorcraft aeromechanics and analysis, and he led the development of several new U.S. helicopter designs. He led the Bell Helicopter development of the OH-58D Kiowa that still serves in the U.S. Army. For the past thirty years, Mr. Harris has built the bridge between U.S. government-conducted and government-sponsored fundamental research and its application by industry’s designers and manufacturers. In late 2016, Frank completed Volume III of his Autogyros, Helicopters, and Other V/STOL Aircraft trilogy, an amazing and lasting accomplishment.