GLEN A. GILBERT MEMORIAL AWARD TROPHY
The Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award Trophy, established in 1986, is awarded annually by the Air Traffic Control Association, Inc. to an individual whose achievements are in more than one aviation discipline and who has demonstrated a life-long commitment to aviation and aviation safety.
The award is dedicated to the memory of Glen A. Gilbert, one of the "Fathers of Air Traffic Control." In 1935, he was instrumental in developing a communications system which could track aircraft enroute to decrease the risk of collision hazard. This was the first air traffic control system.
The Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award was designed and fabricated for ATCA by the Hughes Aircraft Company, and accompanying artists. Stan Cutter and Dale Peche veteran artists/graphic designers at Hughes designed the trophy.
Sculptor John Edward Svenson created the top of the trophy. A silver-plated bronze figure of Jupiter, the mythical god of Light, Sky, and Weather-- represents the symbol for air traffic control. At the tip of Jupiter's extended hand sits a small aircraft representing guidance and control.
Glass sculptor James Randolph created a dynamic crystal sphere of 42 layers of four to five-millimeter-thick laminated crystal sheet glass to represent the Earth and the Atmosphere. Etched in to the blueish green crystal are small aircraft at different heights to represent headings and altitudes across the sky. The crystal sits atop silver clouds made by John Edward Svenson.
Werner Rentz fabricated the base made of Hawaiian koa wood with silver plates made by Victor Buck. The plates are engraved each year for the recipients of the trophy.
Gift of the Air Traffic Control Association
1986 David Thomas, Deputy FAA Administrator, Air Traffic Controller
1987 Najeeb Halaby, FAA Administrator, President Pan American Airways
1988 No Award Presented
1989. Lynn Helms, FAA Administrator, President Piper Aircraft Co.
1990 Scott Crossfield, Test Pilot
1991 John Winant, President National Business Aircraft Association
1992 No Award Presented
1993 Joseph Del Balzo, Deputy FAA Administrator
1994 Tirey Vickers, Editor ATCA Journal, Air Traffic Controller
1995 Capt. Elrey B. Jeppesen, United Airlines, Aviation Charting Co., Jeppesen & Company
1996 Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, United States Congress
1997 Yves Lambert, Director General EUROCONTROL
1998 Stanley Seltzer, Vice President American Airlines, Air Traffic Controller
1999 Langhorne Bond, FAA Administrator
2000 Col. Gabriel A. Hartl (USAF, Ret.), President ATCA
2001 William Pollard, CEO Air Services Australia, Air Traffic Controller
2002 Frank Frisbie, Vice President and Account Manager Civil Aviation Northrop Grumman, FAA Deputy Associate Administrator for Development and Logistics
2003 Andrew Pitas, ATCA Assistant Vice President Operations, Founder ATCA, Air Traffic Controller
2004Wolfgang Philipp, Senior Director, EUROCONTROL
2005Hon. James L. Oberstar
2006Garland “Cas” Castleberry
2007Jerry Thompson
2008John Crichton, President, NAV CANADA
2009Allan McArtor, Chairman, Airbus Americas, Inc.
2010Neil Planzer, Vice President, Air Traffic Management, The Boeing Company
2011Jane Garvey, FAA Administrator, Chairman, Meridiam
2012Peter Challan, VP of Industry Relations, Harris Corporation
2013Patrick Ky, Executive Director, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
2014Monte Belger, Acting FAA Deputy Administrator; President, Metron Aviation
2015Sid Koslow, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, NAV CANADA
2016Paul Rinaldi, President, NATCA
2017 Richard Anderson
2018 Linda Hall Daschle, Acting FAA Administrator; President, LHD & Associates, Inc.
2019 Daniel K. Elwell, Acting FAA Administrator
2022 Massimo Garbini, Chief Executive Officer at ENAV
2023 Teri Bristol
2024 Nicholas E. Calio, President & CEO, Airlines for America
This object is on display in Trophy Case at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.