Each October, at the Annual Awards Gala, The Wings Club Foundation Distinguished Achievement Award is presented “For outstanding accomplishments in the field of aviation and astronautics.”
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
2020-2029
2023 Ray Conner
2022 Bill Franke
2021 Doug Parker
2020 Phebe N. Novakovic
2010-2019
2019 Tom Enders
2018 Willie Walsh
2017 Gary C. Kelly
2016 W. James Mc Nerney, Jr.
2015 John Leahy
2014 Dave Barger
2013 Jim Albaugh
2012 General John R. “Jack” Dailey (USMC Ret.)
2011 Norman R. Augustine
2010 T. Allan McArtor
2000-2009
2009 Wolfgang Mayrhuber
2008 Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
2007 Mauricio Botelho
2006 Al Ueltschi
2005 Sir Richard Branson
2004 Gordon Bethune
2003 Brigadier General Charles “Chuck” E. Yeager
2002 Sir Ralph Robins
2001 Harry Stonecipher
2000 Jean Pierson
1990-1999
1999 John H. Glenn, Jr.
1998 Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge
1997 U.S. Air Force
1996 Herbert D. Kelleher
1995 Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift
Corporate Angel Network
ORBIS International
Wings of Hope
1994 Robert L. Crandall
1993 Frederick W. Smith and the 95,000 Employees of Federal Express Corp.
1992 Aviation Test Pilots:
Roland P. “Bee” Beamont
John J. Casey, A. Scott Crossfield
A. M. “Tex” Johnston
Anthony W. “Tony” Levier
Harry P. Schmidt
Clifford L. “Cliff” Stout
1991 George H. W. Bush
1990 Armin O. Baltensweiler
1980-1989
1989 Thomas H. Davis
1988 The Flight Safety Foundation
1987 Pioneer Trans-Atlantic European Passenger Carriers
1986 T.A. Wilson
1985 The National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution
1984 James M. Beggs
1983 John C. Bierwirth
Thomas V. Jones
David S. Lewis, Jr
Sanford N. McDonnell
1982 Senator Barry M. Goldwater
1981 Olive Ann Beech
Harry B. Combs
Leroy R. Grumman
William T. Piper, Jr.
Dwane L. Wallace
1980 Sir Frank Whittle
Dr. Hans von Ohain
Sir Stanley G. Hooker
Jack S. Parker
Arthur E. Smith
1975-1979
1979 William M. Allen
Donald W. Douglas
Sr., Hall L. Hibbard
1978 William A. Patterson
Robert F. Six
Cyrus R. Smith
Juan T. Trippe
1977 Laurance S. Rockefeller
1976 Neil A. Armstrong
1975 General James H. Doolittle