The Superior Airmanship Award is an aviation award given by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The awards are presented at the ALPA Annual Air Safety Awards Banquet[1] and is accompanied by video recreations of the events, filmed in simulators and scripted from eyewitness accounts, which led to the awards.[2]
Eastern Air Lines – Captain James Robertson and F/O J.L. Bellmer received the award for their skill at handling a thrust reverser opening in flight causing the aircraft to roll while operating Eastern Airlines flight 494. (1984)
Northwest Airlines – Captain Ronald E. Weldon, F/O Andrew E. Faust, and S/O William A. Jensen received the award for handling a major flight control malfunction. (1994)[3]
Comair Airlines, Inc. – Captain David M. Mitchell and F/O Hank Clay were presented with the award for handling a failed landing gear situation. (1996) [4]
Air Transat – Captain Robert Piché and F/O Dirk Dejager received their awards for achieving the longest glide of an airliner after running out of fuel on Air Transat Flight 236. (2001)[5]
Northwest Airlines – The crew of Northwest Airlines Flight 85, Senior Captain John Hanson, Junior Captain Frank Geib, F/O Mike Fagan and David Smith received the Superior Airmanship award for their skill at landing a Boeing 747 with a hard over rudder. (2002) [6]
US Airways – Captain Henry Jones and F/O Jim Dannahower were awarded Superior Airmanship Awards for their quick reactions and expert adjustment of their takeoff maneuver in the 2005 Logan Airport runway incursion. (2005)
Jazz (airline) – Captain Michael Nelson and F/O Paul Cafouros received the award for their skill landing their Bombardier CRJ100/200 in poor weather, low fuel and flaps stuck in the landing position. (2006)[7]
United Airlines – Captain Scott Stoops and F/O Brad Loper received the award for avoiding a potential runway incursion situation with an Atlas Air Boeing 747-400. (2006)[8]
Compass Airlines (North America) – Captain Steven Peterka, F/O Clifton “Lee” Cain, and Flight Attendant Gloria Heurematte received the award for their performance and outstanding teamwork as they successfully conducted an emergency landing as a result of an inflight cabin fire. (2008)[9]
United Airlines – Captain Everett “Ross” Miller and F/O Douglas Cochran received the award for their exemplary performance in preventing a catastrophe aboard United Airlines Flight 731, which suffered a near-total electrical failure with accompanying loss of all radio communications moments after taking off from Newark. (2008)
Jazz (airline) – Captain Paul Ivey and F/O Ed Paterson received the award for landing with severely damaged windscreen and corresponding electrical failure/fire. (2009)[10]
Atlantic Southeast Airlines – Capt. Yngve Paulsen and F/O Michael Aguzino received the award for dealing with a main landing gear that didn't extend. (2009)[11]
Continental Airlines – Captain Brent Black, Captain Steven Wycoff, and F/O Daniel Montgomery were recognized with Superior Airmanship Awards for their superb handling of an engine failure shortly after takeoff. (2009)[12]
American Eagle (airline brand) – Captain Mark Davis and F/O Andres Rubio were recognized with Superior Airmanship Awards for their outstanding performance in preventing the catastrophic loss of Flight 4756 after a malfunction of the aircraft’s flight controls during flight. (2009)[13]
United Airlines – Captain Dale Nordhausen and F/O John Eskuri received the award for safely landing their disabled Airbus A319, a landing gear door failed to fully open and blocked the right main landing gear from extending and locking into position, requiring a partial gear-up landing. (2010)[14]
Alaska Airlines – Captain Steve Cleary and F/O Michael Hendrix received the award for their skill during an aborted take-off after striking an eagle, causing catastrophic engine damage. (2011)[15]
ExpressJet – Captain Micah Peery and F/O Andrew Kinnear were given their award for their handling of an onboard fire. (2012) [16] [17]
Delta Air Lines – Capt. James Judkins and F/O Michael Oates received the award for their handling of an electrical malfunction related to a generator issue. (2014)[18]
ExpressJet – Captain Terry VanHoose and F/O Mark Moser received the award when their aircraft experienced a critical system failure due to a lightning strike and subsequent loss of air data computers. (2015) [19]
Virgin America – Captain Tony Ristaino and F/O John Grieff received the award for their skill dealing with a flight control malfunction. (2016)[20]
United Airlines – Captain Chris Behnam, Captain Paul Ayers and F/O Ed Gagarin safely landed United Airlines Flight 1175, a Boeing 777, in Honolulu after experiencing a catastrophic engine failure over the Pacific Ocean. (2018)[21] [22] [23]
Wasaya Airways – Captain William Ryan Mitchell and F/O Joshua Siefert received the award for their handling of an electrical failure and smoke in the flight deck which resulted in the loss of primary flight instruments. (2019) [24] [25]