Kelly Johnson Award


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.

2024 Winner

Carla Jackson

Carla Jackson

The Kelly Johnson award for outstanding achievement in Flight Test was presented to Carla Jackson. This award recognized 38 years of excellence in flight test along with significant service to the Society.

Over Carla's career she has demonstrated consistent professionalism, commitment and willingness to go the extra mile. Her roles are too numerous to list in full, but she has played a role in a wide range of programs, including B-2, P-3, VH-71, led T&E programs in Air Combat Electronics, Air Traffic Management and Aircrew Systems, and is now in a leadership role in Hypersonic Test and Evaluation for the US Navy.

In addition to her professional career she has been an active member of SFTE for many years, supporting Tech Council, contributing greatly to the Pax River chapter and leading the team who ran the hugely successful 2023 Symposium in Annapolis. She is a Fellow of the society, and is well known as a mentor and example to young engineers throughout the industry.

The 2024 Kelly Johnson award is a truly well deserved recognition for Carla's achievements.


Award Criteria

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

Recognizes a single individual for their impact on and contributions within the field of flight test engineering.

The nominee does not need to be a SFTE member, but the nomination can only be submitted by a SFTE member. Nominations must be received by midnight Pacific Daylight Time (U.S.) on July 31st. Please submit only one written nomination per candidate. The nomination submission should be of no more than 5 pages in length and should make a case for why the nominee deserves to receive the society’s highest individual award. It can include testimonials. The Board of Directors select the awardee. They would most like to learn about this person’s impact in addition to their achievements. Please minimize lists of statistics and specialized jargon in the nomination. Please do not include any proprietary or restricted-access information. Of particular interest will be vignettes, or short stories that could be shared when announcing the award recipient. The Board of Directors will be looking for accomplishments and qualities that encourage all of us within SFTE and industry at large to strive toward making similar contributions.

Be advised, the Board of Directors will request a well-produced multimedia presentation highlighting test programs or other significant contributions the nominee has made over the course of their career. This presentation/video will accompany the award presentation which forms a centerpoint of the Annual Awards Banquet (live webcast) following the Symposium. These materials will be requested only after the nominee has been chosen for the award. Assistance will also be requested from the individual making the nomination to coordinate the award recipient’s attendance at the Awards Banquet if possible. Please be aware the Board wishes to keep the identity of the award recipient a surprise for the general audience when announced at the Awards Banquet.

Background - This award dates back to 1973 when the inaugural award was bestowed upon its namesake. The Society’s bylaws name this award. Since a bylaw amendment in 2006, the award has been for a single individual.




Previous Recipients

Year

Recipient

Affiliation

Photo

2024Carla JacksonUS Navy
2023Juan "Silv" JuradoUSAF Test Pilot School

2022

Giorgio Clementi

ITPS Canada

2021

James Sergeant

Lockheed Martin


2020

Kristen Finnegan

CH-53K LHD Shipboard Test Team


2019

Andrew Maack

F-35 Pax River ITF Chief Engineer


2018

Tim Dutton

Martin Aviation


2017

Vanessa L. Bond

USAF SEEK EAGLE


2015

Alan R. Lawless

Honda Aircraft


2014

Frank S. Brown

Air Force Test Center


2013

Reagan K. Woolf

Air Force Test Center


2012

David L. Vanhoy

USAF Test Pilot School


2011

Tim Jorris

USAF Test Pilot School


2010

John Minor

Hill Air Force Base


2009

Ken Edwards

QinetiQ


2008


Robert N. Burton

BAE Systems


2007

Robert G. Hoey

USAF Flt. Test Center


2006

Gary L. Aldrich

USAF Test Pilot School


2005

Johnny Armstrong 

USAF Flt. Test Center


2004

Burt Rutan

Scaled Composites


2003

X-31 Vector 

USN, Boeing, EADS, DLR, BWB, RJK


2002

Charles E. Webb

NAWC Aircraft Div.


2001

George Ka'iliwai III

USAF Test Pilot School


2000

Frank W. Burcham

NASA Dryden


1999

R. Dale Reed

NASA Dryden


1998

Anatoly G. Kruglov

Aviation Reg., Russia


1997

Richard Hildebrand 

USAF Flt.Test Center


1996

Charles Van Norman 

USAF Flt.Test Center


1995

Joseph L. Dunn

NAWC Aircraft Div.


1994

F-16 MATV Team

Lockheed, GE, USAF


1993

David E. Gibbings

Westland Helicopters


1992

Donald Wyrick

Lockheed


1991

Joint STARS

Grumman, USAF,US Army


1990

Roger C. Crane

USAF Flt.Test Center


1989

Kenneth W. Iliff

NASA Dryden


1988

Eugene J. Zehr

McDonnell Douglas


1987

William E. Jennings

Bell Helicopter


1986

Charles E. Adolph

USAF Flt.Test Center


1985

Chester B. Payne

Lockheed


1984

James H. Lincoln

Boeing


1983

Frederick Stoliker

USAF Flt.Test Center


1982

Frederick Schaefer

Grumman


1981

XV-15 Test Team

Bell Helicopter


1980

Donald D. Archer

Boeing


1979

Spirit 'TM' Team

Sikorsky


1978

Robert Samuelson

McDonnell Douglas


1977

Richard Abrams

Rockwell


1976

Harold Cheney

McDonnell Douglas


1975

Jack Strier

USAF


1974

Ronald Magnuson

Bell Helicopter


1973                

Kelly Johnson

Lockheed