The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced the seven finalists competing for the 2020 Robert J. Collier Trophy on Wednesday. This year’s nominees are the Bell V-280 Valor, Boeing Confident Travel Initiative, Garmin Autoland, Reliable Robotics Remotely Operated Aircraft System (ROAS), SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon 2, U.S. Department of the Air Force Green Propellant Infusion Mission Team and Yates Electrospace Corporation’s Silent Arrow. The selection committee is scheduled to meet virtually in June with the 2020 Collier Trophy announced publicly following the selection.
“For more than a century, the Collier Trophy has defined excellence in American aeronautics and astronautics,” said NAA President Greg Principato. “This year’s finalists represent a broad spectrum of achievement in our industry. The Selection Committee has their work cut out for them!”
The Collier Trophy is awarded annually by the NAA for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.” As previously reported by AVweb, last year’s trophy went to the United States Department of the Air Force-Boeing X-37B team. Past Collier winners include Orville Wright, Howard Hughes, Glenn Curtiss, William Lear and the crews of Apollo 11, Apollo 8 and Mercury 7.
Garmin Autoland would be my recommendation and the Bell V-280 a close second.