WINNERS NAMED

LONGMONT, Colorado (12 March 2009) – In each of the past 45 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized a small group of aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and safety for their contributions to aviation, education, and flight safety.

This awards program is a cooperative effort between the FAA and more than a dozen industry sponsors. The selection process begins with local FAA Safety Team managers at Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) and then moves on to the eight regional FAA offices. Panels of aviation professionals from within those four fields then select national winners from the pool of regional winners.

Recipients of this year’s national awards are Alfred Joseph “Lucky” Louque of Chatfield, Texas, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) of the Year; Arlynn Marine McMahon, Versailles, Kentucky, Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) of the Year; Paul Jerome “Jerry” Stooksbury of Fort Collins, Colorado, Avionics Technician of the Year; and Kent Blair Lewis of Keller, Texas, FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Previously, this award was the Aviation Safety Counselor (ASC) of the Year.

The FAA administrator will present the national awards in July during a “Theater in the Woods” program at EAA AirVenture 2009 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Included in the prize package for all four national winners is an all expense paid trip to Oshkosh for the recipient and a guest to attend the awards presentation and other GA Awards activities.

“These awards highlight the important role played by these individuals in promoting aviation education and flight safety,” said JoAnn Hill, General Aviation Awards Committee chairperson. “The awards program sponsors are pleased that these outstanding aviation professionals will receive the recognition they so richly deserve before their peers in Oshkosh.”