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Australian Aviation recognised at 2017 Australasian Aviation Press Club awards

written by australianaviation.com.au | December 4, 2017

Cathay Pacific sales and marketing manager for Australia Richard Jones (left) and Airservices chief executive Jason Harfield (right) with Australasian Aviation journalist of the year 2016 winner Jordan Chong from Australian Aviation. (Seth Jaworski)
Cathay Pacific sales and marketing manager for Australia Richard Jones (left) and Airservices chief executive Jason Harfield (right) with Australasian Aviation journalist of the year 2017 winner Jordan Chong from Australian Aviation. (Seth Jaworski)

Australian Aviation has taken out the top gong at the 2017 Australasian Aviation Press Club (AAPC) awards with news editor Jordan Chong named journalist of the year ahead of veteran aviation journalist Nigel Pittaway, who was runner up in that category.

It was a night of multiple accolades for the pair, with Chong runner-up in the aviation feature story category for his piece on inflight catering “Fast, Fresh and Flying at 38,000ft”.

Meanwhile, Pittaway’s piece “Striving to be Fifth-Gen” in Air Forces Monthly won aviation defence story of the year. He was also runner-up in the aviation technical story category for “Connecting the Nodes – Airborne Gateway” in Defence Today.

The awards were presented at the annual dinner of the AAPC in Sydney on Friday December 1.

Among the other winners, photographers and Australian Aviation contributors Seth Jaworski and Paul Sadler were named winner and runner-up, respectively, in the photographer of the year award. Jaworski took the trophy in this category for a second straight year.

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The Australian aviation news story of the year award went to Reuters’ Jamie Freed for her piece “Sydney Airport says new terms unviable, sows doubt on involvement”, while Adrian Schofield’s story “New Zealand Targets Advanced Airport Screening” in Aviation Week took out the New Zealand aviation news story award for 2017.

Matt O’Sullivan’s investigation in Fairfax Media “The untold story of QF72″ won best feature story for 2017.

Friday’s event also featured a tribute to veteran aviation reporter Ben Sandilands, who died in late October after battling cancer.

Airline Ratings' Steve Creedy at the 2017 AAPC awards dinner. (Seth Jaworski)
Airline Ratings‘ Steve Creedy at the 2017 AAPC awards dinner. (Seth Jaworski)

Long-time aviation editor at The Australian, former AAPC president and now editor/Asia Pacific bureau chief for Airline Ratings Steve Creedy said Sandilands was a giant of the industry in his five decades as a journalist.

“I think it’s pretty fair that there will only ever be one Benoni Fairfax Sandilands,” Creedy said in his speech to attendees at the awards dinner.

“Ben was a force unto himself, a larger-than-life character whose enthusiasm for and knowledge of the subject matter was without question.

Australian Aviation publisher Christian Boucousis. (Seth Jaworski)
Australian Aviation publisher Christian Boucousis. (Seth Jaworski)

“He held strong and passionate opinions and was not backwards about putting them forward. Ben wasn’t always right in what he said but it came from his heart and was without malice.

“The other great memory was the camaraderie on numerous trips. I was always pleased to see Ben part of the group because it meant good conversations about unusual things, sometimes very unusual things.”

The event also recognised Australian Aviation’s 40th anniversary in 2017, with publisher Christian Boucousis promising even better for the title’s next four decades.

Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific president Maureen Dougherty (right) with defence story of the year winner Nigel Pittaway. (Seth Jaworski)
Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific president Maureen Dougherty (right) with defence story of the year winner Nigel Pittaway. (Seth Jaworski)
Singapore Airlines public affairs manager Southwest Pacific Karl Schubert (left) with aviation photographer of the year winner Seth Jaworski. (Paul Sadler)
Singapore Airlines public affairs manager Southwest Pacific Karl Schubert (left) with aviation photographer of the year winner Seth Jaworski. (Paul Sadler)
Air New Zealand head of communications Marie Hosking with aviation multimedia story of the year winner Grant Bradley from The New Zealand Herald. (Seth Jaworski)
Air New Zealand head of communications Marie Hosking with aviation multimedia story of the year winner Grant Bradley from The New Zealand Herald. (Seth Jaworski)
Airbus executive vice president for Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific Christopher Buckley (left) with aviation feature story of the year winner Matt O'Sullivan from Fairfax Media. (Seth Jaworski)
Airbus executive vice president for Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific Christopher Buckley (left) with aviation feature story of the year winner Matt O’Sullivan from Fairfax Media. (Seth Jaworski)
Rolls-Royce Australia Services customer manager, Asia-Pacific customer team Peter Hewitt with aviation technical story of the year winner Adrian Schofield from Aviation Week. (Seth Jaworski)
Rolls-Royce Australia Services customer manager, Asia-Pacific customer team Peter Hewitt with aviation technical story of the year winner Adrian Schofield from Aviation Week. (Seth Jaworski)

Full list of winners:

Aviation journalist of the year (sponsored by Airservices Australia and Cathay Pacific)

Winner: Jordan Chong, Australian Aviation
Runner-up: Nigel Pittaway, Air Forces Monthly, Defence Today 

Aviation photographer of the year (sponsored by Singapore Airlines)

Winner: Seth Jaworski, Australian Aviation
Runner-up: Paul Sadler, Australian Aviation

Australian aviation news story (sponsored by Sydney Airport)

Winner: Jamie Freed, “Sydney Airport says new terms unviable, sows doubt on involvement“, Thompson Reuters
Runner-up: Owen Zupp, “F-35 arrival highlights a new beginning for Australian aerospace manufacturing“, Australian Aviation

New Zealand aviation news story (sponsored by Auckland Airport)

Winner: Adrian Schofield, “New Zealand Targets Advanced Airport Screening”, Aviation Week
Runner-up: Chris Frame, “Taking Shape”, Australian Aviation

Aviation feature story (sponsored by Airbus)

Winner: Matt O’Sullivan, “The untold story of QF72”, Fairfax Media
Runner-up: Jordan Chong, “Fresh, Fast and Flying at 38,000ft”, Australian Aviation

Aviation defence story (sponsored by Boeing)

Winner: Nigel Pittaway, “Striving to be Fifth-Gen”, AirForces Monthly
Runner-up: Andrew McLaughlin, “Replacing the Replacement” and “Battle Rhythm”, Australian Aviation

Aviation technical story (sponsored by Rolls Royce)

Winner: Adrian Schofield, “Next Phase: Space-based capabilities beckon for Airservices Australia”, Aviation Week
Runner-up: Nigel Pittaway, “Connecting the Nodes – Airborne Gateway“, Defence Today

Aviation multimedia story (sponsored by Air New Zealand)

Winner: Grant Bradley, “Inside the world’s longest flight from Doha to Auckland”, The New Zealand Herald
Runner-up: John Walton, “Live, online, opinion, print and video coverage of Paris Air Show 2017”, Australian Aviation, Runway Girl Network

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Comments (2)

  • Fai Tsang

    says:

    Well done Jordan Chong. Looking for to your article in the future.

  • ALAN K GRIFFITHS JP

    says:

    WELL DONE TO ALL YOU ARE ALL A CREDIT TO OUR GREAT COUNTRY

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