Colonel (ret.) Mark W. Tillman, the Nation’s 12th pilot and commander of Air Force One, was the keynote speaker at the 39th Annual Arizona Aviation Safety Awards Banquet, held Saturday, November 5th in Phoenix.
Tillman, (shown at right) was at the controls during numerous prominent national events, most notably, on September 11, 2001 as well as the secret Thanksgiving trip into Bagdad so President Bush could serve dinner to the troops.
In addition to the keynote address, the 2011 awards were given in the following categories: Maintenance Technician of the Year; Avionics Technician; Certified Flight Instructor; FAASTeam Representative; Communication Award and the Ruth Reinhold Safety Award. For the first time this year a Lighter-Than-Air safety award was also given.
The Aviation Safety Advisory Group (ASAG) holds this annual banquet to recognize groups and individuals in Arizona that have made significant contributions to Aviation Safety. This group works closely with the FAA Scottsdale FSDO Safety Specialists.
ASAG has three goals:
1) Promote aviation safety through individual member effort and support of public agencies, meetings, and seminars.
2) Promote the image of safe aviation in Arizona communities by sponsoring statewide activities.
3) Award special recognition to individuals contributing to aviation safety at an annual banquet.
For additional information visit www. http://aviationsafetyadvisorygroup.org/.
