2021 Aerospace Media Awards brochure

The 2021
Aerospace
Media Awards
Celebrating Excellence in
Aerospace Journalism and
Publishing
June 2021

Announcing the 2022
Aerospace Media Dinner
Sunday 17th July 2020
Venue: London

Welcome to the 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Welcome to the Aerospace Media Awards, no
one is more surprised than me that we are
having to present the Aerospace Media
Awards online again this year. As always the
driving factor in presenting these awards is
that aviation journalists receive recognition
for their work, no virus or restrictions is going
to stop this happening.
Once again the number of nominations this year
has exceeded my expectations, especially as the
work being recognized was created during the
Covid pandemic. A new record of 414
nominations this year has given the judges a
challenging time in working through the
submissions. This increased number of entries
means that more judges have stepped forward to
help and I would like to thank the judges for their
hard, diligent, conscientious work and considered
opinion in reviewing the nominations. This really
makes my work worthwhile and I extend my
thanks to all those of you who took the time to
make nominations.
The sponsors deliver the valuable support that
makes this presentation possible. They are the
companies that step up and demonstrate their
support of the aviation press, not only here, but
throughout the year with their supportive attitude
of the aviation media. Without our sponsors there
would be no Aerospace Media Awards. Thank you
sponsors for your valuable support of this event.
Finally, I would like to wish the finalists every
success and applaud them for their achievement
of being a finalist for the 2021 Aerospace Media
Awards.
I sincerely hope that I can welcome you to the
2022 Aerospace Media Awards in London next
July, fingers crossed!
The purpose of these awards is to celebrate the
very best in aviation journalism and publishing.
This is due to the gracious and generous support
of our sponsors, I would like to thank those
sponsors who have been kind enough to stick
with me and support the Awards. Our sponsors
for 2021; Lockheed Martin, Dassault Aviation,
Boeing, Eurofighter, L3Harris, Gulfstream, CAE,
CTT Systems, Pratt & Whitney and NAMMO.
Peter Bradfield
3

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A note from an AMD Judge
Adam Konowe, FRAeS
The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards affords us the
opportunity to recognize and celebrate the very best
in journalism from industry and mainstream press.
That task is becoming increasingly challenging,
thanks to the highest tally of submissions since
Peter Bradfield began this event nine years ago at
the Royal Aeronautical Society. Nearly 414
submissions across all categories demonstrate that
aerospace journalists take their work seriously and
value the accolades of their peers, joined by our
generous sponsors.
I'm often asked about the nomination process by editors
and reporters. One frequent element for success is the
surprise factor. Stories that demonstrate an innovative
angle or backstory to go beyond conventional wisdom
are more compelling to read than basic reportage.
A second route to shortlisted recognition can be found
in resourcefulness. Gaining rare access to a person,
aircraft, facility or other aerospace asset demonstrates
a commendable level of rigor. Finally, enterprise
journalism is almost always noteworthy. An idea that
doesn’t originate from a press release or other widely
known source, but instead leverages the full
investigative talents of a reporter to tell a new and even
controversial story, is valued more than ever.
Beyond that, I offer a simple suggestion: judicious
restraint. Journalists should pick their best single work
for each applicable category, rather than submitting
multiple pieces that can split votes in their favor. Call it
quality over quantity or less is more. Either way, a
singular piece of outstanding work with a supporting
explanation often represents the best route to the
shortlist. In turn, those of us on the judging panel pledge
to continue the thoughtful review process for all entries
in the ongoing pursuit to recognize excellence in
aerospace journalism.
I look forward to reconnecting in person with everyone
for the 2022 Aerospace Media Dinner on eve of the
Farnborough Air Show.
Adam Konowe
Vice President, Client Strategy,
TMP Worldwide
5

10th October 2021 – Washington
Announcing the fourth
Defence Media Awards
10th October 2021

Awards Presenter
Robert Mac
Robert Mac is an award-winning comedy veteran with over 25
years of experience in comedy clubs, casinos, cruise ships,
festivals and the infrequent television appearance. Clips of his
first Dry Bar Comedy special have garnered over 10 million views
online and his second special will be released shortly.
His act has been described as clean, cerebral, silly, brilliant, and a
little self-deprecating. He was the grand prize winner of Comedy
Central's national stand-up contest and the talent search winner for
the Jerry Lewis Telethon, and has performed at some of the nation’s
top comedy festivals.
He's been seen on NBC's Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's
Premium Blend, The Learning Channel, and numerous programs that
are no longer on the air. Really.
Awards Narrator
Jonathan Wills
Jonathan is one of ITV's most experienced presenters, working
in London on the flagship news show, London Tonight, before
moving to ITN where he was a national Sports and News
Correspondent, and then to ITV News Anglia where he fronts the
nightly programme at 6 O'clock.
Highlights of his career include coverage of the Athens and London
Olympics, Champions League and Wimbledon Championships while
he was the first reporter on the scene at the 7/7 Kings Cross bombing
in 2005.
He has compered a wide variety of awards ceremonies and takes
great pleasure from celebrating the successes of others.
He is no stranger to the aviation world either working for two years
developing the TV offering for the Red Bull Air Race.
7

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The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Young Journalist
The nominees for the Best Young Journalist award
Khalem Chapman
Lee Hudson
Oriana Pawlyk
Andrew Reilly
Nathan Strout
Yasmin Tadjdeh
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Young Journalist goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2012 – Christine Boynton
2013 – Beth Stevenson
2014 – Joyce de Thouars
2015 – Aaron Mehta
2016 – Angad Singh
2017 – Lara Seligman
2018 – Ghim-Lay Yeo
2019 – Valerie Insinna
2020 – Garrett Reim
9

LEARN MORE AT PRATTWHITNEY.COM

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Propulsion Submission
The nominees for the Best Propulsion Submission
Dave Allport – Battle for the Buff - Combat Aircraft Journal
Gareth Jennings – Reaction Engines and Rolls-Royce partner on high-speed aircraft
propulsion – Janes Defence Weekly
Murdo Morrison – Is personal jet pack set for thrust into mass market? –
FlightGlobal.com
Keith Mwanalushi – Power up for recovery – AviTrader MRO
Jon Ostrower – Coronavirus shreds the engine maker business model –
The Air Current
Steve Trimble and Guy Norris – Pratt & Whitney Makes Hypersonic Revival As
Pentagon Pushes Reuse – Aviation Week Intelligence Network
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Propulsion Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winner
2019 – Paul Seidenman and David Spanovic
2020 – Thierry Duboish
11

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Aviation Image Submission
The nominees for the Best Aviation Image Submission
Jim Haseltine – Combat Aircraft Journal cover
Kimberly Henneman – Northern Lights
Lloyd Horgan – Vertical Valor cover
Jamie Hunter – Gripen E
Vincenzo Pace – British Airways 747 at sunset
Mark Wagner – PC-24 Splash
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Aviation Image Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2014 – Anthony Pecchi
2015 – Paul Merritt
2016 – Stephen Bridgewater
2017 – Jason Pineau
2018 – David McIntosh
2018 – Anthony Pecchi
2019 – Benoit Denet
2020 – Mark Wagner
13

Congratulations to all
the nominees and
winners, and thank
you for the continued
outstanding coverage
of the global aerospace
and defence industry.
CAE is a high technology
company focused on supporting
our customers’ training and
critical operations with digitally
immersive solutions to elevate
@CAE_Inc
CAE
cae.com

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Safety, Training & Simulation Submission
The nominees for the Best Safety, Training & Simulation Submission
Tom Batchelor – Battling Birdstrikes – Airliner World
Jens Flottau, Sean Broderick, Guy Norris – Widebody Woes – Aviation Week &
Space Technology
Robert Moorman – Confronting The Blaze – CAT magazine
Oriana Pawlyk – The Air Force Wants to Overhaul Pilot Training. But It Has to Win
Over the Skeptics First – Military.com
Patrick Veillette – Slip Sliding on Snow – Business & Commercial Aviation
James Wynbrandt – Treating your ‘Get-There-It is – Business Jet Traveler
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Safety, Training & Simulation Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2012 – David Learmount
2013 – Thierry Dubois
2014 – Geoffrey Thomas
2015 – Matt Thurber
2016 – Elan Head
2017 - Robert Moorman
2018 – Beth Stevenson
2019 – Matt Thurber
2020 – Jon Ostrower
15

GIVE YOUR IMMUNE
SYSTEM A CHANCE.
Better protected from virus and colds.
Better wellbeing. Better comfort.
Cabin air dehydrates people. A long distance aircraft requires active
earth. Discomfort with dry cabin air include fatigue, jet lag, red eyes,
dry skin, more susceptible to virus diseases, etc.
HUMIDIFIER ONBOARD TRANSFORMS THE EXPERIENCE.

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Passenger and Crew Wellbeing Submission
The nominees for the Best Passenger and Crew Wellbeing Submission
Lindsay Bjerregaard – Medical Mods – Inside MRO
Thierry Dubois – New Cabin Technologies May Help Restore Passenger Confidence
– AviationWeek.com
Emma Kelly – Blank Canvas or a Simple Retouch? – Inflight
Kathryn Creedy – Airlines Begin Examining Cabin Future – Aerospace Tech Review
Gregg Polek – Cabin germ-shield concepts raise feasibility issues – Aviation
International News
Pilar Wolfsteller – Pilots face career anxiety after coronavirus disruption –
FlightGlobal
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Passenger and Crew Wellbeing Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winners
2020 – Alexandra Preston
Sponsored by:
17

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Un-manned Systems Submission
The nominees for the Best Un-manned Systems Submission
Andrew Drwiega – Bright Horizons For Maritime Rotary UAVs – Armada
Tim Martin – MALE UAS: The Trump effect – Air Warfare
Stephen Miller – UAVS Evolve To Meet The Changing Mission – Armada
Garrett Reim – Record number of UAV shoot downs prompt new USAF tactics and
countermeasure pod – FlightGlobal
Richard Scott – Prize catch: Gremlins testing puts air-recoverable UAVs within
reach – Janes International Defence Review
Kelvin Wong – Winning streak: China hits stride in armed MALE UAV exports –
Janes International Defence Review
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Un-manned Systems Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winner
2019 – Kelsey Atherton
2020 – Kelsey Atherton
18

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Digital Submission
The nominees for the Best Digital Submission
John Walton – APEX/Inmarsat FlightPlan online seminars
Ian Whelan – Here's What It Will Take to Make Urban Air Mobility a Reality –
FutureFlight – Aviation International News
The Defense & Aerospace Report
Theo Leggett and Tom Burridge – Boeing played Russian roulette with people's
lives – BBC
Simple Flying
TATV
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Digital Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winners
2012 – Arabian Aerospace
2013 – Aviation Week
2014 – Aviation Week
2015 – Runway Girl Network
2016 – Aviation Week
2019 – FINN
2020 – Corporate Jet Investor
19

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Aerospace & Defence Business
Submission
The nominees for the Best Aerospace & Defence Business Submission
Bill Carey – Air Navigation Service Providers Angst – Aviation Week & Space
Technology
Adam Hadhazy – Flight shaming’s surprising power – Aerospace America
Emma Kelly – Reviving the Revenue – LARA
Aaron Mehta and Valerie Insinna – Chaos, cash and COVID-19: How the defense
industry survived – and thrived – during the pandemic – Defense News
Andrew McIntosh – Boeing Plays Defense – Puget Sound Business Journal
Jon Ostrower – Emirates' Tim Clark says Boeing 'not getting it' on 737 Max –
The Air Current
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Aerospace & Defence Business Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2016 – Peggy Hollinger
2017 – Max Kingsley-Jones
2018 – Jens Flottau,
Graham Warwick & Guy Norris
2019 – Peggy Hollinger
2020 – Jill Aitoro
21

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best MRO Submission
The nominees for the Best MRO Submission
Lindsay Bjerregaard, James Pozzi, & Lee Ann Shay – The Aftermarket’s
Recovery – Inside MRO
Kathryn Creedy – Tectonic Shift in Fleet Planning and Maintenance – Aviation
Maintenance
Charlotte Daniels – COVID 19 – Driving Digital & Remote Maintenance –
Aerospace Tech Review
Christopher Freeze – Maintenance Training: A gateway to a career – AOPA Pilot”
magazine
Keith Mwanalushi – A case for optimism and recovery – AviTrader MRO
Thom Patterson – European MROs Struggle Against the Pandemic – Aviation
Maintenance Magazine
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best MRO Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winner
2019 – Michael Gubisch
2020 – Victoria Moores
22

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Rotorcraft Submission
The nominees for the Best Rotorcraft Submission
Mark Broadbent – HELIMED Rapid rotary response – AIR International
Andrew Drwiega – ARH – Stick or Twist – Asian Military Review
Elan Head – Surprise Ending – Vertical Valor
Jen Judson – Flooding the zone: Future aviation capability tightens kill chain at
Project Convergence – Defense News
Tim Martin – Heavy-lift helicopters: Heavyweight defence – Air Warfare
Garrett Reim – AH-64E teams with two UAVs to identify attack target – FlightGlobal
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Rotorcraft Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winners
2018 – Dan Megna
2019 – Robert W. Moorman
2020 – Gareth Jennings
23

WHEN YOU REACH THE TOP,
THERE’S ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO DO ...
KEEP RISING
We’ve long had aviation down to a science. You inspire us to
reach higher. Every day, we spark innovation, apply passion
and perfect details. We advance aviation to an art form.

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Business Aviation Submission
The nominees for the Best Business Aviation Submission
David Esler – Challenging Airports – Business & Commercial Aviation
Curt Epstein – Hangar fire foam systems: a solution looking for a problem? – Aviation
International News
Volker Thomalla – Business Aviation to the rescue – BART International
Matt Thurber – Dassault Adds More Smarts to Falcon Autothrottle – Aviation
International News
Alasdair Whyte – How to build an empire – Corporate Jet Investor
James Wynbrandt – Flying in the Age of COVID-19 – Business Jet Traveler
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Business Aviation Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2015 – Fred George
2016 – David Esler
2017 – Mark Huber
2018 – Curt Epstein
2019 – David Esler
2020 – Kate Sarsfield
25

Wherever you are in the
world, you can reach us.
Our corporate and international media team are based around the globe and ready to help.
Visit lockheedmartin.com/mediacontacts for contact details and follow
@lmnews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.
®
© 2021 Lockheed Martin Corporation

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Military Aviation Submission
The nominees for the Best Military Aviation Submission
Megan Eckstein – Mission Capable – USNI News
Craig Hoyle – Where Eagles dare – Flight International
Valerie Insinna – The US Air Force has built and flown a mysterious full-scale
prototype of its future fighter jet – Defense News
Gareth Jennings – The Dark Art: Airborne EA becomes ‘the new black’ for mission
success – Janes International Defence Review
Paul Kennard – Bell and Sikorsky Share the Spoils So FARA, So Good? – Heliops
Frontline Magazine
Steve Trimble – Digital Reality – Aviation Week & Space Technology
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Military Aviation Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2015 – Bill Sweetman,
Guy Norris & Amy Butler
2016 – Gareth Jennings
2017 – Sameer Joshi
2018 – Gareth Jennings
2019 – Tim Robinson
2020 – Alex Quade
27

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Commercial Aviation Submission
The nominees for the Best Commercial Aviation Submission
Jens Flottau & Guy Norris – In Transit – Aviation Week & Space Technology
Jonathan Hemmerdinger – 2015 FAA reports highlighted early concerns about
self-certification programme – FlightGlobal
Holly Hegeman – American Airlines’ New Revenue Czar Vasu Raja –
PlaneBusiness Banter
Emma Kelly – Waste not want not – Inflight
Andrew McIntosh – The Rise and Fall Of TTF Aerospace – Puget Sound Business
Journal
Tim Robinson – Airbus spearheads hydrogen moonshot – AEROSPACE
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Commercial Aviation Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winners
2020 – Jon Ostrower
28

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Best Breaking News Submission
The nominees for the Best Breaking News Submission
Bill Carey – Pilot’s Spatial Disorientation Caused Kobe Bryant Helo Crash, NTSB
Says – Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Chen Chuanren – Investigators Cite Thrust Discrepancy Behind SJ182 Crash –
Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Mark Huber – Helo Crash Kills Basketball Legend Kobe Bryant, Eight Others – AIN
Alerts and HAI Convention News
Gareth Jennings – UK bars South Korea from selling FA-50 to Argentina – Janes
Defence Weekly
Andrew McIntosh – COMAC Checks Out Boeing's Backyard – Puget Sound
Business Journal
Jon Ostrower – Boeing yanks eight 787s from service over structural issue –
The Air Current
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best Breaking News Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
29

Eurofighter Typhoon – developed by Europe, for Europe.
www.eurofighter.com
Effective Proven Trusted

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
The nominees for the Best In-depth Feature
Submission
The nominees for the Best In-depth Feature Submission
Khalem Chapman – The X Factor – AIR International
Charles Forrester – Industrial Action: Finnish defence-industrial capabilities – Janes
Defence Weekly
Joe Gould, Valerie Insinna and Aaron Mehta – Congress has secretly blocked US
arms sales to Turkey for nearly two years – Defense News
Craig Hoyle Tempest on target – Flight International
Gareth Jennings – Brewing up a storm: Tempest ushers in new era for UK combat
aviation – Janes International Defence Review
Jon Lake – Next-Gen Radar – Air Forces Monthly
Jon Ostrower – Boeing's MCAS on the 737 Max may not have been needed at all –
The Air Current
Oriana Pawlyk – After Fatal Jet Crash, the Pilots Got Blamed. Then the Air Force
Banned the Flight Maneuver – Military.com
The Aerospace Media Award for the Best In-depth Feature Submission goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2013 – Bill Sweetman, Dave Fulghum,
David Eshel, Michael Bruno
2014 – Amy Butler & Bill Sweetman
2015 – Gareth Jennings
2016 – Victoria Moores
2017 – Stephen Trimble
2018 – David Esler
2019 – Dominic Gates
2020 – Theo Leggett
31

BUILDING
THE FUTURE
TOGETHER.
People come to Boeing from different walks of life to build
their future. Boeing is proud to stand with those who unite
people and give them the opportunities to change the
world together.

The 2020 Aerospace Media Awards
The Bill Gunston Technology Writer Of The
Year Award
The nominees for the Bill Gunston Technology Writer Of The Year
Award
Jon Harper
Emma Kelly
Jon Lake
Garrett Reim
Matt Thurber
Graham Warwick
The Aerospace Media Award for the Bill Gunston Technology Writer Of The Year goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Sponsored by:
Past winners
2014 – Patrick Veillette
2015 – Geoffrey Thomas
2016 – Bill Read
2017 – Woodrow Bellamy III
2018 – Guy Norris
2019 – Bill Read
2020 – Elan Head
33

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
The Aerospace Reporter Of The Year Award
The nominees for the Aerospace Reporter Of The Year Award
Peggy Hollinger
Valerie Insinna
Andrew McIntosh
Adrian Schofield
Karen Walker
Graham Warwick
The Aerospace Media Award for Aerospace Reporter Of The Year Award goes to:
..............................................................................................................................................
Past winner
2019 – David Kaminski-Morrow
2020 – Sean Broderick
Sponsored by:
35

Constantly evolving technology
for a constantly evolving world.
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners in this year’s Aerospace
Media Awards for the excellence in reporting on a constantly evolving world.
Visit lockheedmartin.com/mediacontacts for contact details and follow
@lmnews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.
®
© 2021 Lockheed Martin Corporation

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
Previous winners of the Lifetime Achievement
Award
Past winners
2012 – Ken Munson
2013 – Pierre Sparaco
2014 – Alan Peaford
2015 – David North
2015 – Pushpindar Singh
2016 – Michael J Gething
2016 – Wilson Leach
2016 – Mike Ramsden
2018 – Graham Warwick
2018 – Geoffrey Thomas
2018 – Patrick Veillette
2018 – Fernand Francois
2019 – Barb Zuehlke
2019 – Elfan Ap Rees
2020 – Tim Hall
2020 – John Morris
2017 – Jerome Greer
Chandler
2017 – David Learmount
2017 – Bill Garvey
38

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
2021 Lifetime Achievement Award
Roy Braybrook
An engineering graduate of Manchester
University, Roy Braybrook began his
career with national service in the Royal
Air Force, on loan to the Royal Aircraft
Establishment at Farnborough, working on
acceptance trials of first-generation air-toair
guided missiles.
Roy then rejoined the project office of
legendary fighter manufacturer Hawker
Aircraft (formerly Sopwith Aircraft, and
later a branch of British Aerospace), where
he had carried out his postgraduate
apprenticeship. He worked initially on the
preliminary design of future combat
aircraft and advanced jet trainers, under
the direction of the late Sir Sydney Camm,
arguably Britain’s greatest fighter designer.
His duties included a stay with NASA
during the crucial USAF-funded wind
tunnel tests that proved the feasibility of
the revolutionary P.1127 (later Harrier)
vertical take-off and landing project. On
the company’s behalf, he also gave
evening lectures on ‘Aircraft Design and
Development’ at the local technical
college, preparing students for the Royal
Aeronautical Society examination.
He was later responsible for providing
technical support for the company’s
patents office in litigation at home and
abroad, and for the company’s marketing
team in exports of the highly successful Hunter, Harrier and Hawk series. This involved extensive travel
throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
Roy resigned from BAe in 1980 (after 25 years with the company) to become a full-time freelance aerospace
writer and consultant. As a writer he is best known for his contributions to Air International, beginning in the
days of the Cold War with a series of design analyses of Soviet combat aircraft (especially well received by
RAC-MiG and Sukhoi), and later with his controversial ‘Personal View’ series, which ran for decades. He served
for many years as the Military Aviation Editor of the Swiss-based Armada International defence journal and the
US-based Revista Aerea Latinoamericana. He has authored 15 books, and has recently completed the text for
his next, analysing the Russian air intervention in Syria.
Roy is married to the distinguished South African archaeologist Dr Gabeba Abrahams, and lives in Cape Town.
He has two step-sons, Meekael and Kaamil Willis.
39

Aerospace Media Awards
Acceptance Speech by Roy Braybrook
Members of the Aerospace Media
Awards Committee, many thanks for
this incredible honour. To say that I was
completely blown away would be an
understatement. All us old fogeys aspire
to receiving a Nomination one day. This
is way beyond that. It forces me to look
back and realize how much my career
depended on the friendship of so many
people who gave me the opportunity to
do what I really loved doing.
I was born in 1933, when very few
countries had airforces. Going back even
further, my Dad (I have been told) used
to make compressed-air-powered model
aircraft, more like wire-bound cylindrical
explosive devices. I suppose it made
him a pioneer in the field of flying
bombs. My Mum made him stop. He
took me to my first flying display, some
flying circus in Yorkshire just before
World War II. I recall the wonderful
colours of the aircraft. After the war, my
uncle, an officer in the RAF Volunteer
Reserve, took me to see various
airfields, notably Scampton at the start
of the Cold War. The USAF had flown in
a wing of B-29s. They were parked
around the perimeter, and I remember
their massive coloured fin markings.
Each aircraft had an armed guard and
Alsatian.
In my teenage years my interest in
aviation grew. It was already tending to
a fascination with Hawker products as
visits to smaller airshows allowed me to
see advanced developments of the
P1040 Sea Hawk. First came the sweptwing
P1052. I then saw the all-swept
P1081 with straight-through jet pipe. I
persuaded the Hawker PR people to
give me a tour of their Ham works. The
Production area was still filled with
seagull-shaped Sea Hawks, but in
Experimental I saw the bullet-shaped
P1067 Hunter F.2. I was sold. I had
found my passion. I wanted to design
fighters for Hawker Aircraft.
In those days (1951), it was very difficult
to study aeronautical engineering at a
university in England. So I studied
mechanical engineering at Manchester
instead. I feel sure my Mum was equally
proud, regardless.
I entered aerospace journalism almost
by chance. Around 1960 (at the height of
the Cold War) Derek Wood of the
London office of the Geneva-based
InterAvia asked his friend Hawker
Aircraft chief designer, Sir Sydney
Camm, to get one of his project
engineers to write a piece on where
combat aircraft design might be going
after the subsonic vertical take-off and
landing P.1127. Without reference to the
Defence Ministry security people, Sir
Sydney agreed, subject to his final sayso
on publication. The job came down to
me. Derek knew full well that Sir Sydney
(who never sought publicity) would back
off at the last moment, so went ahead
and published anyway. My career in
journalism was launched!
It was revived some years later, when
Francis Mason, Hawker historian, left
the company to become editor of RAF
Flying Review, the forerunner of Air
International. Frank asked me to write
an article on the MiG-21. This was the
opportunity of a lifetime, because the
defence press had got this aircraft
completely wrong. By analogy with the
F-86 Sabre and the F-100 Supersabre
weight-growth story, writers assumed
the MiG-21 would be a heavy fighter.
Then a Soviet MiG-21 squadron visited
Finland. A guard was photographed next
to a MiG-21 air intake and the cover was
blown. If you know how much air is
going in, you can estimate thrust,
weight and performance. We in the
project office did this every day of the
week on competitors' aircraft. It was
only a light interceptor, capable of
defending its own airfield. My reputation
was made, and a series of articles on
Soviet combat aircraft was
commissioned.
I have to say at the outset that I owe a
tremendous debt of gratitude to Sir
Sydney, my idol and mentor. He had my
back from the moment I joined the
40

project office in 1956. This coincided
with the Hunter losing it's Superpriority
status. Sir Sydney took it on himself
(unsuccessfully) to request my
exemption from National Service, so
that I could focus on designing fighters.
Many years later the directors of de
Havilland pressed him to fire me for
writing that their Sea Vixen was "a heap
of rubbish". Sir Sydney told them that if
"Braybrooks (an error I never dared to
correct) said it was a heap of rubbish, it
probably was". He came to me
afterwards and said " If you can't look
after your young, what are you?". I
suspect that my hatred of the Sea Vixen
came from my momentary (but very
real) belief that its DH.110 forerunner,
that disintegrated while approaching
Farnborough in 1952, was going to kill
me. Luckily for me, one engine fell short
of the airfield and the other passed
overhead, tragically killing 31 spectators
on the Farnborough Hill behind.
The other person to whom I owe such
debt is clearly William Greene, the
publisher of Air International. Among his
many achievements, Bill brought
together myself and Chris Wren for the
controversial "Personal View" series.
Chris was the greatest aviation
cartoonist, the only one I ever met who
could caricature both planes and people.
When he died, he was replaced by John
Weal, another great cartoonist, but with
a totally different style.
I also owe the Air International editor,
Gordon Swanborough, who took a lot of
flak on my behalf. Gordon was oldschool
English, the last person that a
foreigner should mess with. At one
stage a foreign manufacturer contacted
all my magazines, threatening to
withdraw advertising unless they
dropped me from their writers' list. I lost
one in Bonn, but telling Gordon how to
run his magazine was like poking a tiger
with a stick. All they got was an angry
lecture on the role of advertising in
aviation publishing and a suggestion as
to where to stick their promotional
material. Two years later, the whole
affair was forgotten and I was invited to
Paris for a friendly briefing.
The Personal View series brought me
widespread exposure, but it did not
bring me the financial return that I
needed to resign from BAe in 1980,
when my first wife's worsening medical
condition required much more of my
time and attention.
The solution to this financial dilemma
came from a chance meeting at a Paris
Airbus press lunch with Peter Stierlin,
publisher of the Swiss-based Armada
International. Only a publication such as
Armada could provide both the
necessary volume of work and paymentrate
similar to union demands. I am
forever grateful to Peter.
I suspect that BAe shed a tear of relief
when I left, but before long BAE head of
PR Robert Gardner very kindly and
generously offered me a freelance
writing job with salary equal to what I
was then earning. However, it had taken
me two years and a lot of help from
good friends to establish my writing
business, and I knew I could not do that
twice, so I had to decline. However, I
really appreciated that offer from Bob.
My Armada income was supplemented
by commissions from magazines such
as Elaine Asch's Revista Aerria
Latinoamericana in New York, Mike
Gething's Defence in Eton and Aircraft
in Melbourne.
I wrote for some years for Arab Defence
Journal, when they were operating from
an underground carpark in Beirut. Their
London office flew my contributions to
Cyprus, where they were put on a boat
for Beirut.
I was also helped by several other
writers, including top-of-the-range, John
W R Taylor (another ex-Hawker
employee), and Bill " Book of the Month
" Gunston. Also by my best friends Mike
Stroud, Mike Gething and Barry
Wheeler. Mike Stroud's son, Nick, went
on to become editor of the successful
The Aviation Historian.
I owe all these friends, and so many
more.
In concluding, I feel I should have some
kind of message for young, aspiring
aerospace journalists. The fact is that all
businesses move on and the key to
success changes. My only advice is to
stay flexible, embrace change and work
hard.
Looking back, I had a great career, and
would change places with no-one.
In aerospace matters, Allah truly smiled
on me.
Thank you and Shukran.
41

Announcing the second
Aerospace
Media Awards – Asia
February 2022
Singapore
For more details contact:
Peter Bradfield
themediadoctor@aol.com
tel + 44 1362 860061
www.aerospacemediadinner.com

The 2021 Aerospace Media Awards
2021 Lifetime Achievement Award
Fred George
Fred George has flown, evaluated and reported on more than 230 makes, models and variants
of aircraft during his more than 40-year career in aviation journalism, including virtually every
business jet built in the last three-plus decades. Outside corporate aviation, he’s also flown
aircraft as slow as the 35 knot Airship 600 [aka Fuji blimp] and as fast as the Mach 2-class
Rafale, as lithe as the Kit Fox and as hefty as the Airbus A350XWB, as meek as the Piper J-3
Cub and as muscular as the Airbus A400M Atlas, as old as a Lockheed Constellation and as
new as a Boeing B787 Dreamliner. Prior to starting his aviation journalism career, the former
Naval Aviator made three cruises to the Western Pacific, flying the F4J Phantom II and logging
more than 300 carrier landings. He’s a 6,600+ hour ATP-rated civilian pilot with six jet type
ratings. Out of the cockpit, his aviation reporting focuses on risk management, safety
technologies, legal issues and flight department best practices. After retiring from the Aviation
Week Group in late 2020, he launched Fred George Aero LLC, a firm that specializes in pilot
report videos, PR consulting and training programs.
43

The Judging Panel
Adam Konowe
Frank Jackman
Mike Savage
Chris Stellwag
David Dorman
Richard Hedges
Mike Gething
Adam Konowe
Adam Konowe is vice president of client strategy at TMP
Worldwide, where he specializes in business-to-business
and business-to-government communications, primarily for
aerospace and defense companies. Since 1999, he has
represented some of the industry’s most recognizable
brands while working for two firms, TMP and Sullivan
Higdon & Sink. Earlier, he spent seven years in broadcasting
with C-SPAN, BizNet and PBS The Business Channel.
Adam earned a BA from the University of Rochester and
an MA from American University; he’s taught undergraduate
and graduate communications courses at the latter as an
adjunct professor since 1999. His professional affiliations
include the Aero Club of Washington, National Press Club,
Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and Wings Club of New
York. His guest speaking credits include Flight Safety
Foundation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the
Ontario Aerospace Council.
Frank Jackman
Frank Jackman is Vice President, Communications at the
Flight Safety Foundation and editor-in-chief of AeroSafety
World, the Foundation’s monthly journal. Prior to joining
the Flight Safety Foundation in April 2012, Jackman spent
nearly 25 years with McGraw-Hill’s Aviation Week. He
started as a reporter and financial editor for Aviation Daily,
and later was editor-in-chief of the group’s award-winning
Overhaul & Maintenance (O&M) magazine before
becoming editorial director of O&M and the World Aviation
Directory. After a brief foray into Lean Six Sigma and
business process management, Jackman returned to the
editorial side as deputy managing editor, civil aviation for
Aviation Week, and later served as editor of Aviation Daily
and managing editor, civil aviation, for the Aviation Week
Intelligence Network. During his tenure Aviation Week, he
also was involved in new product development, database
development and was an early and frequent contributor
to the highly successful MRO Conference & Exhibition
event series. Before moving into aviation journalism,
Jackman was a reporter for the Tampa Tribune and
reporter and editor for the Danville (Va.) Register.
Mike Savage
Mike Savage started his career in aviation at Hatfield as a de
Havilland Aeronautical Technical School engineering student.
He went on to carve out a very distinguished career as a
pilot in the RAF. On leaving the RAF Mike became a
Marketeer and publicist for Handley Page Ltd moving to the
British Aircraft Corporation, followed by spells at the British
Hovercraft Corporation, British Aerospace, McDonnell
Douglas (Middle East) and Saab Aircraft. So far Mike’s career
in aviation marketing and communications has spanned
more than 50 years. Mike is currently Media Consultant for
a couple of Scandinavian aerospace interests. He is a Fellow
of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a committee member
of The Aviation Club of the UK.
Chris Stellwag
Chris Stellwag is director of marketing communications for the
Defence & Security business unit at CAE, where he has
worked for 18 years. In this position, he has global
responsibility for trade media relations, trade shows,
advertising, social media and marketing content for CAE’s
defence business. Prior to joining CAE in 2001, Chris held
marketing andcommunications positions at BAE Systems,
Lockheed Martin, Delta Air Lines, and NCR Corporation. Chris
holds a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree
from the University of Dayton and a Bachelor of Science
degree in Business/Technical Communications from the
Florida Institute of Technology.
David Dorman
David Dorman has been an aerospace media professional
for over 40 years, the past 24 of which have been as a
self-employed consultant working for a wide variety of
aerospace companies from across the globe. During this
time David has worked on accounts dealing with
commercial aircraft, aircraft leasing and finance, air cargo,
business aircraft, defence, rotary-wing, on-board medical
equipment and, most recently, the aviation aftermarket
and supply chain.
Richard Hedges
Richard Hedges has enjoyed a thirty year career in
corporate communications within the aerospace sector.
He recently retired from the position of Director,
Communications, Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, he was
responsible for the management of global external
communications for the business. He has a wide
experience of international aviation media with whom he
has worked throughout his career. Richard joined
Rolls-Royce in January, 2011 from American Airlines
where he spent over a decade as Director Corporate
Communications for its Europe & Pacific Division. He has
extensive corporate and marketing communications
experience. From 1986 to 1999 he was at what was
then the world’s largest charter airline, Britannia Airways
(now Thomson Airways), where he headed the
communications function. His experience covers the
management of major internal and external
communications projects, public affairs, reputation
management and crisis communications. His brief has
also covered management of marketing communications,
advertising and corporate identity projects. Richard is a
committee member for the Aviation Club of the UK and
serves on its PR sub-committee.
Mike Gething
Michael J Gething began his career in aviation/defence
journalism in 1973, when he joined the staff of the
Royal Aeronautical Society’s publication Aerospace as
assistant editor. In 1976, he moved to DEFENCE magazine
where he spent 17 years, eight of them as Editor. In
December 1993, he joined Jane's Information Group (now
IHS Jane’s) to edit Jane's Defence Systems
Modernisation which, in 1997, evolved into the Jane's
Defence Upgrades newsletter. In June 2003, he became
Editor of the Jane's Electro-Optic Systems (JEOS)
yearbook, with secondary responsibilities on the Air
44

Desk, contributing to the portfolio of Jane's defence
titles as appropriate. In 2012, JEOS along with three
other titles, were merged to create IHS Jane’s C4ISR &
Mission Systems – a four-volume module, covering Air,
Land, Maritime and Joint/Common equipment, of which
Michael remains as Editor responsible for the Electro
Optics/ InfraRed equipment entries. Between 1972 and
1986, Michael served as a Flying Officer in the Training
Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was
elected a full Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society in
February 2012 and is a Member of the Chartered
Institute of Journalists. Michael also belongs to Air -
Britain, the Air Power Association and the International
Plastic Modeller’s Society (UK). He is married with a son
(in the RAF) and a daughter and lives in deepest Sussex.
Abby Singleton – MD Singleton PR
Abigail Singleton has worked in public relations for over
20 years. Her career started in the press office at Gatwick
Airport as a work experience placement. Post university,
she joined an international PR agency providing strategic
corporate communications, media relations, reputation
management and strategic counsel for a range of clients.
Abby then moved into financial PR in the City of London,
predominantly assisting Alternative Investment Market
(AIM) listed companies. During that time, Abby spotted a
need in the market for a PR agency specialising in
Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. In 2007, to plug
that gap, she launched Singleton PR. With its
headquarters on the top floor of the Farnborough Air
Sciences Trust Museum, Singleton PR has become a
powerhouse for the Aerospace, Defence, Security and
Space industries worldwide and works with companies
of all sizes, from multinationals to start-ups. The agency
offers a wide range of PR services, including the creation
and execution of bespoke multi-media programmes on a
global scale.
Greg McCarthy
Director of Strategic Communications
Sierra Nevada Corporation
Greg McCarthy brings more than 30 years of
communications, legislative and congressional experience
to his work as director of strategic communications at
defense, space and aviation company Sierra Nevada
Corporation. Greg’s work has included overseeing a
coalition to support congressional funding for the U.S.
Navy’s aircraft carrier and amphibious warship programs,
providing strategic advice on the pursuit of the U.S. Air
Force’s next-generation fighter trainer and light-attack
aircraft, and securing corporate partnerships to promote
the 2010 U.S. Census. From 1999 to 2006, Greg served
as director of communications to U.S. Senator Jack Reed
(D-RI), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Armed
Services Committees. Greg is an enthusiastic follower of
the informative, boisterous and humorous conversations
of defense and aerospace journalists on Twitter.
Zuzana Petakova
Zuzana is the founder of WAPE JETS which specializes in
business aviation, mainly in the field of brokerage and
private jets sales. She started her career in business
aviation, where she focused especially on aircraft sales,
marketing, and brand communication in the international
area. Later, she expanded her experience to include the
segment of world-renowned luxury and premium brands.
Zuzana speaks English, French, and Russian and has
traveled the world over the past years. Thanks to her
experience, she can help you find the best solution for
your traveling and make your time spent in the air and
on the ground more pleasant while moving
to your destination. Security and client satisfaction are a
priority for her.
Oksana Smirnova
Independent PR Advisor, Cognitive Linguist, PhD
Oksana has 15+ years experience developing and driving
communication strategies on global markets ranging from startups
to large multinational clients such as Expo Universal
Exhibition, Facebook, KPMG, IKEA, Orange Business Services,
Renaissance Capital, TripAdvisor, Visa, and others. She has
worked with 43 brands across 26 industries - from Business
Aviation and Finance to IT and Telecom. She has recently
authored her first book 11 cognitive secrets for your texts and
business that is to be published later this year.
Charlie Miller
Charlie Miller has been steeped in the aerospace and
defence business on both sides of the Atlantic for almost
four decades both as a journalist and as a well-known
communications professional. Today, he is a senior
consultant with The Tantalus Group advising, training and
coaching global business leaders and organisations. Until
his retirement from Boeing in August 2020, he led the
company’s international communications for 12 years
with a highly diverse team in 17 countries supporting
business growth. As a journalist, he primarily covered
Defence and Foreign Affairs for the UK national news
agency, the Press Association. Concurrently, he wrote
weekly articles for US-based Defense News. He reported
extensively from conflict zones that included the 1991
Gulf War and the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. He
was awarded “UK Scoop of the Year” for breaking the
news of the death of Princess Diana in 1997. He moved
into communications in 1998 to jointly lead Corporate
Media Relations as Head of News at British
Aerospace/BAE Systems. He joined Boeing in 2001 as the
company’s first UK Communications Director before
leading the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for five
years. He moved from London to Boeing’s corporate HQ
in Chicago in 2013.
Richard Mumford
Richard Mumford is a lawyer and partner at REN Legal, a
leading specialist aviation practice based in London. Over
the past 20 years, Richard has covered a wide range of
the aviation market, including aviation finance and leasing,
airlines, parts and maintenance, business jets, tour
operations and the air charter market. He is a dispute
resolution lawyer with experience advising in relation to
more than 40 jurisdictions and is recognised as a leading
aviation solicitor by both Legal 500 and Chambers.
Richard is the former Chairman of the Air Charter
Association, is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
and a member of ISTAT, ERA, the ACA and the Aviation
Club. He studied for an M.A. in Jurisprudence at Oxford
University and has written many articles on aviation
market issues, as well as writing a regular column for an
aviation publication.
Abby Singleton
Greg McCarthy
Zuzana Petakova
Oksana Snirnova
Charlie Miller
Richard Mumford
45

David Harrison
Nicola Neville-Smith
Anthony Phillips
Ghim Lay Yeo
David Harrison AMRAeS
David is a public relations and media professional with a
proven and successful track record in helping
organisations communicate effectively with decision
makers and opinion formers. David has broad experience
of corporate and marketing communications,
encompassing international programmes, product
launches, bid campaigns, crisis management, media
relations and public affairs. His career covers marketing,
communications, media planning and PR. He currently
runs his own company ADMI which specialises in
marketing communications and PR in the Aerospace and
Defence sector. David has over 30 years’ knowledge and
experience in media covering all sectors and is considered
as one of the foremost authorities in the business. Over
this time, he has established a global network of contacts.
He has worked with many clients, who include: Airbus,
BAE Systems, Elettronica and General Dynamics to name
but a few. He has also advised on several special projects
for Jane’s Defence Weekly, Aviation Week and Space
Technology and Defense News. He has planned and
implemented lobby, marketing and PR campaigns in
London, Washington, South Africa, Canada, Norway also
the Middle and Far East. Prior to the above, he was a
board director at one of London’s top 10 B2B advertising
and communications agencies. His responsibilities
included account management and liaison with the
agency’s key clients also media planning and advising on
PR opportunities. It was whilst at the agency he
developed his skills in marketing communications, event
management and PR. He is a member of The Royal
Aeronautical Society, The Air League, The Air and Space
Power Association, The Aviation Club and The Overseas
Press and Media Association.
Nicola Neville-Smith
Nicola has worked in Corporate Communications, Events,
Marketing, Advertising, Branding and Media sectors for
20+ years. Her main area of experience has been derived
from client mandates, she has also worked on the agency
side as a consultant for PR and Marketing agencies
seconded into companies to set up marketing and PR
teams, as well as the Principal’s Private Secretary to a
member of the ruling family in Abu Dhabi. Nicola’s
passion for the aerospace and defence industry started
early in her career while working for BAE Systems (former
GEC-Marconi Ltd). More recently she has moved back to
the UK currently working for Portsmouth City Council on
its Covid-19 Business Compliance and Regulatory
Services Port Health team on the new Border Control Post
(BCP) being built at Portsmouth International Port.
Anthony Phillips
International air transport industry communicator with 30
years of experience in Asia. Anthony Phillips has
performed a diversity of corporate/marketing
communications roles in Asia, Europe and Latin America
since 1980. Senior in-house and consultancy positions
focused on the commercial air transport industry have
predominated, but experience has also been accumulated
in the automotive, financial, telecommunications and
tourism sectors. International communications
consultancy activity undertaken out of Singapore, Geneva
and Hong Kong since 1990 has been undertaken for a list
of industry leading air transport companies and trade
bodies including the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines,
Aerion Supersonic, Air Astana, Airbus, Air Canada,
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Arianespace, Bombardier,
Cessna, Dragonair, Emirates, Gulfstream, Honda Aircraft,
IATA, Korean Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Rolls-Royce, Singapore
Airlines Cargo, SITA and United Airlines. Core strengths
lie in media, customer and industry relations, together
with crisis communications training/auditing and “on the
ground” implementation. Anthony holds a degree in
Economics from the University of Warwick, United
Kingdom and is married with two children.
Ghim-Lay Yeo
Ghim-Lay Yeo is Vice-President Corporate Communications
at the oneworld Alliance. Based in New York City, she
oversees the global airline alliance's external
communications, media relations and internal
communications with its Governing and Management
Boards. Prior to joining oneworld, Ghim was a journalist
with FlightGlobal for a decade, where she was most
recently Americas Managing Editor, managing a team of
US-based reporters covering the airline industry in the
Americas. While working full-time as a journalist, Ghim
earned an MBA (Distinction) from the University of
Warwick, where she spent six months researching the
challenges faced by female airline executives for her MBA
dissertation. In 2018, she was named Best Young
Journalist at the Aerospace Media Awards. Ghim grew up
in Singapore, where a childhood love for travel fueled her
interest in the airline industry.
46

The following companies have been kind enough to show their recognition and
support of the aviation press by sponsoring the 2021 Aerospace Media Awards