FAI awards presented at the 105th FAI General Conference in Belgrade

Aviation personalities were honoured yesterday night at the 2011 FAI Awards Ceremony held in Belgrade, Serbia, as part of the Opening Ceremony of the 105th FAI General Conference.

Coming from all around the world, more than 20 recipients of FAI diplomas and medals were presented their awards by FAI President John Grubbström.

Honorary Group Diploma

This diploma is awarded to groups of people that have contributed significantly to the progress of Aeronautics or Astronautics.

• Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia
• Baló Club Mediterrani
• Aeroklub Memorial Air Show Roudnice nad Labem
• Ballonsportgruppe Stuttgart e.V.
• Polish Air Navigation Services Agency – PANSA

Paul Tissandier Diploma

This diploma is awarded to those who have served the cause of aviation in general and sporting aviation in particular, by their work or devotion.

• Garry Georkov
• Nikola Cvjeticanin
• Pedro Cabañero Marimón
• José María Lladó Costa
• Beat Neuenschwander
• Erdogan Menekse
• Tahsin Tekin
• David Pilkington
• Jack Krine
• Stanisa Petrovic
• Antonio Dentini    
• Kjell Thore Olsen

Gold Rotorcraft Medal

This medal rewards a particularly remarkable achievement in rotorcraft including use as a sporting vehicle, or eminent services to the development of rotorcraft over an extended period of time.

• Irina Grushina

Lilienthal Gliding Medal

The diploma is awarded for a particularly remarkable gliding performance, or eminent services to gliding, to a currently active glider pilot.

• Reiner Rose

Nile Gold Medal

This Medal, established in 1972, is donated annually by the Aero Club of Egypt to the FAI. It is awarded to a person, group of persons or organization to reward distinguished work in the field of aerospace education, particularly during the year preceding the award.

• Edgardo Rezzonico

Santos-Dumont Gold Airship Medal

This Medal, established in 1994, honours Alberto Santos-Dumont for his contributions to the developments and to the sport of flying airships, culminating in his historic flight around the Eiffel Tower in Paris, on October 19, 1901, thus winning the Deutsch Prize. 100 medals are contributed by the Virgin Islands Aero Club.

• Leonid Tyukhtyaev

V. M. Komarov Diploma

This Diploma was established by the FAI in 1970 to honor the memory of Soviet Cosmonaut Komarov who participated in the world record space flight of Voskhod 1 in 1964, and who lost his life while serving on a cosmic flight. It may be awarded annually to astronauts, members of multi-seater crews, for outstanding achievements in the field of exploration of outer space in the previous year. The maximum number of crews to be recognized annually shall be three.

• Crew of STS-Mission 130 / ISS Assembly Mission 20A

In total, 85 aviation personalities and groups have received an FAI award this year.