Awards

Nominations for 2023 Awards will open in the spring.

AnchorKelly Johnson Award

"The Kelly Johnson Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Flight Test Engineering"

This is an individual award that honors outstanding achievement in the field of Flight Test Engineering. The Kelly Johnson Award was first awarded in 1973 and is the society‘s oldest running award.

Kelly Johnson established the fabled Lockheed Skunk Works that was responsible for many designs and flight testing of aircraft such as the P-80, U-2, SR-71, F104, F-117, YF-22, and X-35.

Criteria for nominations

Previous Recipients

2022 Award

Giorgio Clementi


AnchorJames S. McDonnell Award

"The James S. McDonnell Award for Outstanding Team Achievement in the field of Flight Test Engineering"

The J.S. McDonnell award was established in 2016 and is a group award that honors outstanding achievement in the field of Flight Test Engineering.


James McDonnell was the founder of McDonnell Aircraft Company responsible for aircraft such as the F-2H, F-4D, F-4, and F-15 as well as many space vehicles such as the Apollo Command module.

Criteria for Nominations

Previous Recipients

2022 Award

Cessna SkyCourier


AnchorJesualdo Martinez Award

The European Chapter established this award in 2019 as a memorial for Jesualdo and our colleagues who have sacrificed their lives while performing their job. Candidacies are received by the European Chapter Board and the award is delivered every two years.


Jesualdo Martinez was a Spanish FTE at Airbus Defense & Space and member of the SFTE European Chapter Board who demonstrated and promoted the Society values of education, participation, and professionalism in the field of Flight Test Engineering. Jesulado and 4 fellow crew members perished in the crash of an A400M during a test flight in May 2015 from Seville airport.

Previous Recipients

2021 Award

Andrew Nixon


AnchorDirectors Award

The SFTE Directors Award was established in 1985 to recognize individuals who have contributed significant and lasting efforts towards the welfare, stature, leadership or membership of the society.

Previous Recipients



2022 Award

Ben Povall