Frederick L. Feinberg Award

The pilots completed 173 sorties totaling 214 mishap-free flight hours, reached 305 knots (565 km/h) true airspeed in level flight, with a total of nine different pilots, including five US Army test pilots.

The crew showed significant self-sacrifice and courageous conduct by planning and executing a no-notice rescue mission for three American military personnel catastrophically injured behind enemy lines. Leveraging the speed and range of the tiltrotor, the crew deftly penetrated rain and instrument meteorological conditions while avoiding enemy fire. If not for the CV-22 and crew, the injured personnel would not be alive today.

Fell was at the controls for all events for both aircraft, logging over 50 ground-run hours and 30 flight hours to date. In addition to his flying duties, Bill supported the design teams with over 300 hours in the engineering simulator to help develop the flight control system. Terry Fogarty of Kaman (right) presented the award.

This test demonstrated the tiltrotor’s ability to land safely following an all-engines inoperative emergency. The two pilots conducted many hours of simulation and in-flight build-up testing, as well as numerous autorotations from 70 to 110 knots indicated airspeed in helicopter mode and flight in airplane mode windmill state from 140 to 190 knots. The pilots’ exceptional skill during the testing allowed this critical and potentially high-risk task to be completed safely and efficiently, thus exemplifying the qualities of extraordinary test pilots such as Frederick Feinberg.

Their actions coordinated were coordinated with four other air and surface assets which combined to save 42 lives in one of the largest cold water rescues in modern history.

Based on the crew's meticulous flight planning and understanding of the aircraft, they were able to safely execute the dangerous hoist mission at 10,500 MSL and save their fallen comrade.

They accomplished the impossible – an emergency extraction of four people from combat with only a two-seat Apache by lashing two of the people to the outside of the aircraft. Performed a dangerous nighttime extraction in their Apache helicopter of two injured US Army Kiowa helicopter pilots who were shot down in Iraq in October 2004.

With the help of three rescue vessels, four Super Blue Hawk helicopters were able to transport 133 fishermen, stuck on a storm-swept and burning ship, to safety.

Six CH-53E Sea Stallions carried the first conventional forces which would later wreak havoc on opposing Taliban and Al Queda forces.

The rescue mission established a record number of persons (26 survivors, four crew) ever carried in a Sikorsky Jayhawk and a new record for Coast Guard rescues.

The members of the team include William Wallace, James R. Arnold, Paul Erdway, and Paul S. Demko, all with FAA

The Pilot Staff of the RAH-66 Comanche Combined Test Team include W04 John Armburst of the U.S.Army; Loren "Rus" Stiles and Nicholas Lappos of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., and Reginald Murrel and Robert Gradle of Boeing - Philadelphia.

Fuel limitations and high winds prevented a return to base. Thus after the last survivor was hoisted aboard the pilots were forced to continue east to Bermuda where they safely landed more than five hours after the flight had launched and 632 nautical miles from their point of origin.

Edward J. Renouard, left, Society outgoing president and Dean Borgman, Society chairman, far right, present Dwayne Williams and Leo Meslin with the Feinberg plaque in photo.

The team had a rigorous practice and workout schedule, including 6:00 a.m. calisthenics sessions and six-mile runs with 20-pound weight belts. The team also focused on the actual competition, practicing in 5 1/2 hour sessions every day. At first, the crews were graded three times a week. Then, to keep the pressure on as it would be during competition, grades were given every day.

From left, John s. Tulloch and A. Lynn Freisner display their Feinberg Award as Horner looks on.

During the 4th World Helicopter Championships, held in Poland, pilot Chrest and co-pilot Kee recorded a score of 761 (out of a possible 800) to finish 11 points ahead of the second place West German team to win the individual competition.

At 5:00 a.m. No.1484 reached the TERRY T. With no outside reference, Currier was guided only by the voice of his hoist operator, David Seavey. After lowering a basket down to the deck several times, eight of the 10 men aboard were hoisted to safety. As the basket was lowered to pick up the two remaining men, they were suddenly swept overboard before they could be reached. Leaping into action, Currier demonstrated extreme skill and daring and maneuvered the basket into a position in the water so that the two men could literally fall into it, and they were lifted to safety. all 10 men were saved from the TERRY T and throughout the mission Currier and his crew showed exemplary skill and courage.

Prior to 1979, the two "flew" the NASA Simulator at Ames Research Center, piloted the XV-15 Ship Number One during its exploratory flights in helicopter mode, and remotely controlled that ship during its wind tunnel testing in the NASA 40' x 80' wind tunnel. Both are former military pilots, Erhart with the Air Force and Cannon with the Marine Corps.

The Feinberg Award is given in recognition of the outstanding achievement accomplished by a helicopter pilot during the preceding calendar year.

Major Richardson also received the Air Medal for the rescue. His copilot, Capt. Paul W. Wheeler, also received the Air Medal, and Staff Sgt. Jay A. Tennant, medical aidman, won the Army commendation Medal. The crewchief, Specialist 6 Edward F. Harvey, was also selected to receive the Army Commendation Medal. The rescue was in the dead of winter; a sixth climber who reportedly elected to remain on the mountain ledge perished. The citations reported that the helicopter crew all risked their lives in making the rescue, b raving temperatures of 25 degrees below zero with an almost constant chill factor of 100 degrees below zero. Winds of 70 knots continually buffeted the aircraft, making control difficult and hazardous. Approaches to landing zones were through narrow mountain passes filled with dangerous swirling winds. If the rescue mission had not been carried out, the five rescued also would have died.

This significant development will provide future helicopters with less-vulnerable, lower-weight, better response, and more-reliable control systems.

Commander Lewis was selected for his sea rescue of an ill crewman from the merchant ship, S.S. Steel Executive, at night and under extremely hazardous weather conditions. Despite very dense fog, Lt. Cdr. Lewis took off and proceeded to the estimated position of the vessel some 220 miles south of San Diego, Calif., and - by applying extremely skillful instrument approach procedures - was able to find the vessel with visibility reduced to an eighth of a mile and less at times, and by hovering 50 feet above.