Collier Trophy Nominees Announced For 2015 Achievements

The National Aeronautic Association announced this week nine nominees for the 2015 Robert J. Collier Trophy, which recognizes projects and achievements in aviation and aerospace. The nominees include four aircraft ranging from the Icon A5 light-sport amphibious airplane to the C-5M Super Galaxy, the Air Force transport airplane built by Lockheed Martin. Airbus’ A350 XWB airliner and the HondaJet also are on the list.

The National Aeronautic Association announced this week nine nominees for the 2015 Robert J. Collier Trophy, which recognizes projects and achievements in aviation and aerospace. The nominees include four aircraft ranging from the Icon A5 light-sport amphibious airplane to the C-5M Super Galaxy, the Air Force transport airplane built by Lockheed Martin. Airbus' A350 XWB airliner and the HondaJet also are on the list.

Other contenders are the New Shepard Team from Blue Origin, which is developing a reusable rocket, and NASA teams for the Dawn and New Horizons space probes. Also nominated are the UCAS-D Autonomous Aerial Refueling Demonstration, a Navy unmanned aircraftprogram developed by Northrop Grumman, and the team for the Two Eagles balloon pilots, Leonid Tiukhtyaev and Troy Bradley, who broke world gas balloon distance and duration records in 2015. The trophy winner will be chosen by a selection committee of 31 voting members. The committee will meet on March 8 and the winner will be announced later that day at the NAA Spring Awards Dinner in Arlington, Virginia. Gulfstream Aerospace's G650 business jet won the 2014 Collier Trophy.