LONGMONT, Colorado - In each of the past 49 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized a small group of aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and safety for their contributions to aviation, education, and flight safety.
This awards program is a cooperative effort between the FAA and more than a dozen industry sponsors ( http://www.generalaviationawards.org/ ). The selection process begins with local FAA Safety Team managers at Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs) and then moves on to the eight regional FAA offices. Previous national awards winners from each of those four fields then select national winners from the pool of regional winners.
Recipients of this year's national awards are Marvin Hornbostel of Junction City, Kansas, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) of the Year; Eric Christopher "Rick" Ochs of Gahanna, Ohio, Avionics Technician of the Year; MCFI Hobart Caleb "Hobie" Tomlinson of Huntington, Vermont, Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) of the Year; and Jeanné Carole Willerth of Lee's Summit, Missouri, FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Previously, this award was the Aviation Safety Counselor (ASC) of the Year.
The FAA administrator will present the national awards in July during a "Theater in the Woods" program at EAA AirVenture 2012 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Included in the prize package for all four national winners is an all expense paid trip to Oshkosh for the recipient and a guest to attend the awards presentation and other GA Awards activities.
"These awards highlight the important role played by these individuals in promoting aviation education and flight safety," said JoAnn Hill, General Aviation Awards chairperson. "The awards program sponsors are pleased that these outstanding aviation professionals will receive the recognition they so richly deserve before their peers in Oshkosh."
GA Awards 2012 AMT Marvin Hornbostel
2012 NATIONAL AMT OF THE YEAR: Marvin Hornbostel of Junction City, Kansas is a recipient of the FAA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic who has been working more than 50 years as an airframe and powerplant (A&P) technician. He has held inspection authorization (IA) for 40 of those years.
Hornbostel represented the Wichita FSDO area as well as the FAA's Central Region. This year's other regional AMT winners include Patrick Michael "Pat" Carey of Redondo Beach, CA (FAA's Western Pacific Region); Jack Lynn Haun of Port Orange, FL (FAA's Southern Region); Robert Lee Hensley of Oklahoma City, OK (FAA's Southwest Region); Jacob Rama "Jake" Milstein of Boulder, CO (FAA's Northwest Mountain Region); Steven Nelson "Steve" Skinner from Northfield, VT (FAA's Eastern Region); and Janese ValerieThatcher-Buzzell of Inver Grove Heights, MN (FAA's Great Lakes Region).
GA Awards 2012 AVN Rick Ochs
2012 NATIONAL AVIONICS TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR: Eric Christopher "Rick" Ochs of Gahanna, Ohio has been named the 2012 National Avionics Technician of the Year. He owns and manages Spirit Avionics Limited, an FAA certified Part 145 repair station at Port Columbus Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio.
Ochs represented the Columbus FSDO area and the FAA's Great Lakes Region. This year's other regional Avionics Technician of the Year winners include John Tildon Austin Jr of Honolulu, HI (FAA's Western Pacific Region); William David "Bill" Betts from Smithfield, NC (FAA's Eastern Region); and James Andrew "Jim" Lightfoot Sr of Milliken, CO (FAA's Northwest Mountain Region).
GA Awards 2012 CFI MCFI Hobie Tomlinson
2012 NATIONAL CFI OF THE YEAR: Master CFI Hobart Caleb "Hobie" Tomlinson of Huntington, Vermont, has been named the 2012 National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year. He is employed by Heritage Aviation at Burlington (BTV) and is an independent flight instructor as well as a designated pilot examiner (DPE). Not only is he a current 5-time Master CFI but in 2010, he earned the FAA's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.
Tomlinson represented the Portland Maine FSDO area as well as the FAA's Eastern Region. This year's other regional CFI of the Year winners include Lambert Charles "Bert" Mackentepe of Cullman, AL (FAA's Southern Region); MCFI Lynnwood Karl "Woody" Minar of Dresser, WI (FAA's Great Lakes Region); Dave William Pressy of Saint Louis, MO (FAA's Central Region); Robert Lindsay "Bob" Stedman of Parker, CO (FAA's Northwest Mountain Region); Christopher Charles "Chris" Webb from Garland, TX (FAA's Southwest Region); and Donna Marie Webster of Bakersfield, CA (FAA's Western Pacific Region).
GA Awards 2012 FAASTeam Jeanné Willerth
2012 NATIONAL FAA SAFETY TEAM REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR: Jeanné Carole Willerth of Lee's Summit, MO, is the 2012 National FAASTeam Representative of the Year. Her personal mantra is "aspire to inspire before you expire!" She believes true leadership requires giving back. Whether it is lobbying for general aviation, recruiting new members for the 99s, or fulfilling a Vietnam veteran's last wish for a flight over Kansas City, Jeanné is a leader.
This year's other regional winners include Mark Alan "Mordechai" Levin of Richmond, IL (FAA's Great Lakes Region); Richard Lawrence "Rich" Martindell of San Diego, CA (FAA's Western Pacific Region); Betty Grace Meyer of Clanton, AL (FAA's Southern Region); MCFI Megan Roberta Sayre from Bennett, CO (FAA's Northwest Mountain Region); Arthur Robert "Art" Tarola of Kutztown PA (FAA's Eastern Region); and Henry Lee Weatherford of Mustang, OK (FAA's Southwest Region).
Support and sponsorship for the General Aviation Awards program is provided by Women in Aviation International (WAI), The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), the Professional Aviation Maintenance Ass'n (PAMA), the Ninety-Nines International (The 99s), the National Business Aviation Ass'n (NBAA), the National Ass'n of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), the National Air Transportation Ass'n (NATA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Ass'n (GAMA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Experimental Aircraft Ass'n (EAA), the Aircraft Maintenance Technology Society (AMT Society), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Ass'n (AOPA), and the Aeronautical Repair Station Ass'n (ARSA).
Additional support is being provided by Advocates for Aviation Safety Foundation (AASF), Aeronautical Proficiency Training LLC (AVTrain), Master Instructors LLC (MI LLC), National Aviation Safety Foundation (NASF), and Rich Stowell Consulting (RichStowell.com). - Staff Report, FMI: http://www.GeneralAviationAwards.org/