5 Finalists Named for Annual Collier Trophy

The National Aeronautic Association announces 2024 Collier Trophy finalists. [Courtesy: NAA]

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has revealed the five finalists for its 2024 Collier Trophy, representing a range of aeronautical advancement from space to sustainability.

The trophy, the most prestigious award in the field of aeronautics and astronautics, recognizes those whose contributions improve the "performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles" through demonstration by actual use the preceding year.

The finalists for the 2024 Collier Trophy are:

Blue Condor (Perlan Project) for its work on zero-carbon-emission turbine aircraft, which includes "documenting hydrogen contrails that may have significant positive climate impacts."
Gulfstream G700 (Gulfstream Aerospace) for “pioneering model-based certification, elevating performance, advancing 100 percent neat [sustainable aviation fuel] and refining next-generation manufacturing.”
Parker Solar Probe Team (NASA/Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory) for the “extraordinary accomplishment of creating the first spacecraft to operate and deliver science from within the sun’s corona through revolutionary advances in aerospace and defense technology.”
Skyryse One (Skyryse) for developing the “world’s first fully-conforming production aircraft to accomplish a fully-automated hover at the swipe of a finger.”
X-37B (U.S. Space Force/Boeing) for “pioneering sustained space maneuver with a novel aerobraking maneuver that allowed the vehicle to operate across multiple orbital regimes with a single spacecraft in a safe, fuel-efficient manner.”

“For more than a century, the Collier Trophy has been the most prized honor in aviation,” said Amy Spowart, NAA president and CEO. “Public recognition of achievement serves as a beacon of inspiration and keeps the entire aerospace industry moving forward, and the NAA is so grateful to all our members for supporting the Collier Trophy and other NAA awards.”

The final round of the Collier selection will take place in March in Washington, D.C. Each group will present its nomination to the Collier selection committee, composed of the NAA board of directors and selected industry leaders.

The recipient of the Collier Trophy will be announced March 25, and the presentation of the award will be June 12 in Washington, D.C.

The name of the winner will be engraved on the Collier Trophy on permanent display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This year's winner will join the likes of Orville Wright (1913), Bell X-1 (1947) Lockheed Skunk Works (1958), Boeing 787 (2011), and JPL Mars Ingenuity Team (2021).

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Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.