Micheal Gaffney

Paul New

Jerry Luttrull

Cheryl De Filippo

The joint FAA/Industry General Aviation Awards Committee recently named recipients of the 2007 National General Aviation Awards in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics and safety. The four individuals will receive their awards from FAA Administrator Marion Blakey during a special presentation program at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007. This is the 44th year of the national GA awards program.

This year’s recipients are: Michael Gaffney, NAFI 19074, of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) of the Year; Paul New, EAA 656705, of Jackson, Tennessee, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) of the Year; Jerry Luttrull of Riverside, California, Avionics Technician of the Year; and Cheryl De Filippo, EAA 603049, of Deltona, Florida, FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year.

"These awards highlight the important role played by these individuals in promoting aviation education and flight safety," said JoAnn Hill, selection committee 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."

Administrator Blakey’s presentation program is scheduled for Wednesday evening, July 25, at Theater in the Woods.

2007 National GA Award Winners

CFI of the Year: Master CFI Michael Gaffney (St. Louis FSDO/FAA Central Region) has instrument and multi-engine instructor ratings and is also an advanced and instrument ground instructor. Recent professional development training has led to his designation as a Diamond Factory Authorized G1000 Instructor, a Cessna FITS Authorized Instructor and a Cirrus Standardized Instructor. Gaffney is also an airframe and powerplant mechanic (A&P).

He earned his B.S. degree in aeronautics from Saint Louis University’s Parks College and his MBA from the University of Bridgeport. Gaffney is president of Skyline Aeronautics (www.SkylineAero.com), a CFR Part 141 flight school, a full-service FBO, and a general aviation piston aircraft maintenance facility located at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS). Originally appointed as an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor, Gaffney recently became a member of the FAAST and conducts numerous safety seminars. He is one of approximately 500 aviation educators worldwide to hold Master CFI accreditation as well as Master Ground Instructor (MGI). Gaffney is a member of EAA, NAFI, AOPA and the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association.

Other regional CFI of the Year recipients include David Frazier of Jackson, Michigan (Great Lakes Region); Bettina Oborny of Miami Lakes, Florida (Southern Region); Master CFI Brian Robbins of Columbus, New Jersey (Eastern Region); and Roger Sharp of Schertz, Texas (Southwest Region).

AMT of the Year: Paul New (Memphis FSDO/FAA Southern Region) has been an A&P technician for almost 20 years, including 15 years with inspection authorization (IA). His father was a B-29 mechanic during World War II, and New grew up riding his bicycle to the airport after school and on Saturdays to help his dad rebuild airplanes. What started out as a father-and-son hobby soon became the family business in a hangar at Jackson’s McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL).

The business specializes in major repairs to piston single- and twin-engine aircraft. New’s management and operation of the company includes supervision of seven technicians, training apprentice technicians, design of structural repairs, systems and electrical troubleshooting and post-maintenance flight checks. A favorite part of his work is owner-assisted inspections and helping owners better understand how to safely and efficiently maintain their aircraft. He also monitors several aircraft type-specific Internet forums, responding to owners’ technical questions.

This year’s other regional AMT winners include Arnold Cicerone of Seal Beach, California (Western Pacific Region); Luke Gerard of Johnson, Kansas (Central Region); Robert Gould of Florence, Massachusetts (Eastern Region); Donnie Lewellen of Friona, Texas (Southwest Region); and Leslie Ojala of Holt, Michigan (Great Lakes Region).

Avionics Technician of the Year: Growing up in New Mexico and Texas, Jerry Luttrull (Riverside FSDO/FAA Western Pacific Region) would sit near the end of the runway at a local Air Force base and watch aircraft take off and land. At age 14 he became a Civil Air Patrol Cadet and after high school attended the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he graduated with honors with an Associate of Applied Science degree in aviation instruments and electronics.

For the past 20 years, Luttrull has worked for Otto Instrument Service (www.OttoInstrument.com), a Part 145 Repair Station located two blocks from Ontario (California) International Airport (ONT). He worked his way up from instrument technician—performing inspections, maintenance, preventive maintenance and alterations for aircraft instruments and accessories on GA, air carrier and military aircraft—to vice president of quality and compliance.

The FAA’s Los Angeles Manufacturing Inspection District Office (MIDO) appointed Luttrull as a designated manufacturing inspection representative (DMIR). He also chairs the database committee for a non-profit product evaluation coalition. Luttrell continues to enhance his professional skills through continuing education and training and has also contributed to AEA’s Avionics News magazine.

Other regional avionics technician winners were Romel Bonifacio of West Springfield, Massachusetts (Eastern Region) and Randall Weller of Waterford, Michigan (Great Lakes Region).

FAA Safety Team Representative Of The Year (previously the Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year): Cheryl De Filippo (Orlando FSDO/FAA Southern Region) has been involved with the FAA’s safety program for nearly a decade. The daughter of a naval aviator, she practically grew up in the hangars at Pennsylvania’s Willow Grove Naval Air Station watching the Blue Angels practice their routines. Years later she rekindled her interest in aviation after meeting her husband, Hugh, a one-time pilot who got back into flying.

As a lead representative of the new FAA Safety Team (FAAST), Cheryl promotes the production studio and its aviation safety messages. She also travels throughout the country to large aviation gatherings including EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Sun ’n Fun, and AOPA Expo, sharing the FAAST goals with other aviators. As a trained graphic artist, she produces the studio’s promotional materials, books, websites, and advertising campaigns.

Other regional winners were Robert Adelizzi of Bradford, Massachusetts (Eastern Region); Robert Betzold of Cabot, Arkansas (Southwest Region); Thomas Kennedy of Plymouth, Michigan (Great Lakes Region); Lawrence Lay of Douglas, Kansas (Central Region); Chris Todd Lobato of West Point, Utah (Northwest Mountain Region); and Melvin Eugene Souza of Mililani, Hawaii (Western Pacific Region).

The General Aviation Awards Program Executive Committee includes the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), the FAA, and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI). Additional support and sponsorship are provided by Women in Aviation International (WAI); the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA); the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA); the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO); the National Air Transportation Association (NATA); the Helicopter Association International (HAI); the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA); the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA); the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); and the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA).