The Iven C. Kincheloe Award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight testing. It was established in 1958 by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and honors the memory of test pilot and Korean War ace Iven C. Kincheloe, United States Air Force, who died during flight testing.
The Kincheloe Trophy consists of four columns and a symbolic aerospace vehicle that points toward the shield of the society. The columns represent the foundation on which the society was created—courage, integrity, knowledge, and accomplishment. The vehicle reinforces the role played by the society in the development of aerospace systems. Plaques bearing the name of each honoree are mounted around the sides of the onyx base.
The Society lists three criteria for nominations to this award:
- The recipient must be a living member of the Society.
- The accomplishment, or significant portion of the accomplishment, must have occurred in the past year (From July 1)
- The accomplishment must involve actual flight testing conducted by the individual, while in a test pilot role, and represent an outstanding contribution to an aerospace program.
Recipients of this award, from 1958 to present, include:
1958James R. Gannett, Boeing First Commercial JetJoseph John "Tym" Tymczyszyn, CAA First Commercial Jet1959Robert G. Ferry, Maj USAF, XV-3 convertiplane1960A. Scott Crossfield, North American X-15 ProgramWilliam M. Magruder, Douglas DC-8 Flight Test Program1961Joseph A. Walker, NASA X-15 ProgramRobert M. White, Maj USAF1962Donald W. McCracken, McDonnell F-4 Mach Investigation1963Astronaut Team, NASA Mercury ProgramScott Carpenter, LCDR USNLeroy G. Cooper, Maj USAFJohn H. Glenn, Jr. Lt Col USMCVirgil I. Grissom, Capt USAFWalter M. Schirra, CDR USNAlan B. Shepard, CDR USNDonald K. Slayton, Maj USAF1964Pilots of YF12A (A-11) Lockheed Super-Secret ProjectLouis W. SchalkWilliam C. ParkRobert J. GillilandJames D. Eastham1965Alvin S. White, North American XB-70 Supersonic Flight1966Milton Orville Thompson, NASA M2/F2-Lifting Body Program1967Richard L. Johnson, for the General Dynamics F-111 test Program1968Drury W. Wood, Jr, Dornier Werke DO31 Test Program-VTOL Flight1969Jerauld R. Gentry, Maj USAF, NASA/FRC Lifting Body ProgramJames A. McDivitt, Col USAF/NASA Apollo IX Mission, test of LM maneuvering1970Darryl G. Greenamyer, Lockheed World speed record for piston engine airplaneApollo XI Team Moon landing and returnNeil A. Armstrong NASAEdwin E. Aldrin, Col USAF/NASAMichael Collins, Col USAF/NASA1971Andre Turcat, Aerospatiale, Concorde joint test programBrian Trubshaw, British Aircraft Corporation, Concorde joint test program1972Apollo XVI Crew Moon landing and returnJohn W. Young, CAPT USN, NASAThomas K. Mattingly CDR USN/NASACharles M. Duke, Lt Col USAF/NASADonald R. Segner, Lockheed-California For accomplishments in Company testing the Cheyenne helicopter1973Charles A. Sewell, Grumman Aerospace Spin Prevention Testing in a Grumman F-14A Tomcat.1974Irving L. Burrows, McDonnell Aircraft Outstanding professional Company contributions as a test pilot during F15A development program1975John E. Krings, McDonnell Aircraft As Project Pilot on F15A Company high angle of attack characteristics test program1976Charles C. Bock, Jr, Rockwell International For his outstanding accomplishments on the B-1 Program1977Fitzhugh L. Fulton, Jr, NASA/Dryden Flight 747/Space Shuttle Carrier Research Center1978James M. Patton Jr, NASA/Langley Research Stall/Spin Flight Research CenterFred W. Haise, Jr, NASA/JSC Space ShuttleJoe H. Engle, Col, USAFCharles Fullerton, Lt Col USAFRichard H. Truly, CDR USN1979Philip F. Oestricher, General Dynamics Corp. F-16 Flight Test ProgramRobert C. Ettinger, Lt Col USAF1980Dorman A. Cannon, Bell Helicopter Textron Tilt Rotor XV-15Ronald G. Erhart, Bell Helicopter Textron1981John W. Young, NASA Space Shuttle ColumbiaRobert L. Crippen, CAPT USN1982Thomas McMurtry, NASA AD-1 Oblique Wing Program1983John M. Hoffman, Lt Col USAF For Outstanding contribution to the derivative F-15 fighter planes1984Donald L. Bloom, Bell Helicopter 0H-58C helicopter spin phenomenaCharles A. Sewell, Grumman Aerospace Low Altitude high angle Corporation of attack, asymmetric thrust flight test program on the F-14 Tomcat.1985William W. Lowe, McDonnell Douglas AV-8B High Angle of Attack Corporation Test Program1986David A. Kerzie, Lockheed Corp. U-2/TR-1 extremely high altitude investigative and exploratory flights to determine flutter characteristics.1987Guy Mitaux-Maurouard, Avions Marcel Dassault Rafale Flight Test ProgramDick Rutan, Voyager Aircraft, Inc. Successful around-the-world non-stop, non-refueled flight of the Voyager aircraftJeana Yeager, Voyager Aircraft, Inc.1988Channing S. Morse, McDonnell Douglas NOTAR Helicopter, Helicopter Company Development Program1989Addison S. Thompson, Rockwell International B-1B high alpha envelopeRandy Gaston, Lt Col USAF, expansion and flight control system developmentWilliam C. Park, Jr, Lockheed Aircraft Corp. Research and developmentN. Kenneth Dyson, Lt Col USAF, flights of prototype1990Bruce J. Hinds, Jr. Northrop Corporation B-2 Flight Test ProgramRichard S. Couch, Col USAF1991Paul Metz, Northrop Corporation YF-23 ATF PrototypeDavid L. Ferguson, Lockheed Corporation YF-22 ATF Prototype1992Daniel C. Brandenstein, CAPT USN Space Shuttle/Satellite Recovery1993Allan T. Reed, McDonnell Douglas T-45 High Angle of Attack and Corporation Flying Qualities & Spin Evaluation1994Christopher J. Yeo, British Aerospace Eurofighter 2000 Flight TestPeter Weger, Deutsche Aerospace Program1995John E. Cashman, The Boeing Company 777 Flight Test Program1996Erwin Danuwinata, IPTN Expansion and flight tests leading to FAA/JAA certificationKen Dyson & Richard G. Thomas, Tacit Blue Program (Retroactive 1982)Jon S. Beesley, USAF F-117 Combined Test Force, Harold C. Farley Lockheed, David L. Ferguson Lockheed & Thomas A. Morgenfeld Lockheed (Retroactive 1983)1997Douglas B. Shane, Scaled Composites V-Jet II and Vision Aire Vantage1998Gary Freeman, Gulfstream Aerospace G-V Certification Test Program1999Mike Melvill, Scaled Composites Proteus high-altitude multimission aircraft2000Jeremy Tracy, GKN Westland Helicopters2001Wg Cdr Rajiv Kothiyal, Indian AF2002Herb Moran Bell Helicopter, envelope expansion and aircraft definition of the AH-1Z helicopter.2003Thomas L. Macdonald, Bell-Boeing High Rate of Descent (HROD) testing for the V-22 Osprey2004Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne Test TeamMike MelvillBrian BinniePeter Siebold2005Randy Neville, Boeing F-222006Norman E. Howell, Boeing, C-172007Jon S. Beesley, Lockheed Martin, F-35A and Bird of Prey Test Team (Retroactive from 1997)Rudy Haug, BoeingDoug Benjamin, BoeingJoe Felock, Boeing2008Terry E. Tomeny, Calspan Corporation Eclipse2009Peter Siebold, Scaled Composites2010Michael Carriker, Boeing2011Kevin Bredenbeck, Sikorsky Aircraft, X2 Demonstrator2012Markus Scherdel, Solar Impulse, HB-SIA2013Mark "Forger" Stucky, Scaled Composites Test Pilot for SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo2014AgustaWestland AW609 Tiltrotor Test TeamPietro VenanziDan WellsPaul Edwards2015Prospero Uybarreta, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, C Series and CRJ Series