Every year about this time aviation writers around the globe start getting a little goose bumpy wondering if they made the cut. Making the cut means you’ve been nominated by the World Leadership Forum for the Aerospace Journalist of the Year awards. The list includes the top five or six writers in a dozen different categories whose work during the last year has been deemed worthy of recognition. Just making it to the shortlist is an honor, a bit like the Oscars, but without the opportunity to meet Nicole Kidman or Natalie Portman.
This year, I’m very honored to have made that short list in the Business Aviation category for a story published in Business Jet Traveler earlier this year called, “Defending Your Business Jet.” I was also one of the lucky winners in 2004 for a story about aviation training safety.
The final decision on who walks away with the Oscar happens just before they open the doors to the Paris Air Show this year, so the next few weeks will keep us all biting our nails.
But to paraphrase the old joke, “Enough about me …”
I want to spend a moment and acknowledge a few of my comrades who also made it to the short list and what they submitted this year to the contest. Maybe we’ll find out a few more of these aviation journalist types either read Jetwhine or have Twitter accounts so we can stay more closely in touch.
In the Business Aircraft category, I’m head to head with AIN’s own Mark Huber for “VLJs – Beyond the Hype.” In Breaking News, good luck to Jon Ostrower for “Airbus Dreamliner Dossier Revealed,” as well as BC&A’s Patrick Veillette for “Helicopter EMS: A Continuing Safety Failure.” Mr. David Lombardo from AIN was nominated for his story, “As Wolves Circle.” (What the heck was that about anyway David?)
Under Systems & Technology, AIN’s Jennifer Harrington was nominated for “Weather Services in the Next Era,” while Runway Girl Mary Kirby has the nod at Airline Business for her story, “Engine Makers Under Pressure.” My old buddy from the Aviation Space Writers Association days, Bill Sweetman was nominated for his Defence Technology International story, “Ultra Stealth.” And then there are those guys Mark Huber, Jennifer Harrington, David Lombardo and Jon Ostrower who figured they’d increase their odds and submit to more than one category, a strategy that was obviously lost on me. Everyone nominated should be at the event in Paris in a few weeks. We’ll post some photos here when I return.
The categories include Air Show Dailies, Air Transport, Avionics, Breaking News, Business Aircraft, Defense, General Aviation, Maintenance, Propulsion, Regional Aircraft, Safety, Space, Strategy & Financial and Systems & Technology. The winners will be posted on the web site around the opening at Paris.
Congratulations to all.
Your award: Most conflicted.