First presented in 1981, this award honors an AAAA member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to educating others about balloon safety and operation. The recipient must have made a substantial contribution of time and effort, actively participating in the organization and instruction of ground schools and safety seminars for both AAAA and the broader ballooning community.
NOMINATION DEADLINE: February 28th
Please click on the button below to submit a name.
Previous Award Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Year | Recipient | Year | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Bob Ruppenthal | 2001 | -No Award- | 2021 | -No Award- |
| 1982 | Charlotte Kinney | 2002 | Clarke O'Byrne | 2022 | -No Award- |
| 1983 | Albuquerque FSDO | 2003 | -No Award- | 2023 | Ken Beebe |
| 1984 | Fran Tschida | 2004 | Debbie Fowler | 2024 | Debi Ostgulen |
| 1985 | Bill Bird | 2005 | Ray Bair | ||
| 1986 | Anna Nalley | 2006 | David Tennis | ||
| 1987 | -No Award- | 2007 | Gary & Debbie Jantz | ||
| 1988 | Dick Butterfield | 2008 | AIBF Directors & Staff | ||
| 1989 | George Hahn | 2009 | Clare Wade Callihan | ||
| 1990 | Ray Bair | 2010 | -No Award- | ||
| 1991 | Dorothy Gruber | 2011 | Beth Wright Smith | ||
| 1992 | Joel Johnstone | 2012 | Linda Bonney | ||
| 1993 | Glenda Watson | 2013 | Tom Goettsche | ||
| 1994 | Barbara Fricke | 2014 | Don Boyer | ||
| 1995 | Ron Domres | 2015 | J.D. Huss | ||
| 1996 | Karen Glinski | 2016 | Tom Fisher | ||
| 1997 | Phil Nelson | 2017 | Dale Pattyn | ||
| 1998 | Peggy Malone | 2018 | Loretta Zamora | ||
| 1999 | Kay Adams & Jerry Smith | 2019 | -No Award- | ||
| 2000 | Don Bragg | 2020 | Ken Tuley |