2025 winners & finalists

Aviation Safety Professional of the Year

James Bassam, Surf Life Saving NSW/Australian UAV Service
Robert Bennett, Infravision
Lucas Brewer, Australian Jump Pilot Academy
Stefan Conant, Boeing Defence Australia

Nicolle Connelly, RMIT University and Airservices

Shane Midgley, Airbus Australia Pacific
Georgina Mommers, Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT
Trent Robinson, Flight Training Australia Podcast
Richard Smith, Maroomba Airlines

Engineering Professional of the Year

Lachlan Kilby, Javelin Aerospace Group

Kyle McMillan, Airbus
Blair Norrish, Kimberley Aircraft Maintenance
Bright Pattarakunnan, MEMKO
Marious Tremal Pitumpe Arachchige, Performance Aviation Australia

Executive of the Year

Laura Benger, Maroomba Airlines
Liesl Haris, Gap Drone
Mahmood Hussein, Global Drone Solutions
Daniel Joinbee, Gunggandji Aerospace
Michael McConachy, Nexus Airlines
Duncan Milne, Babcock

Sue-anne Munckton, Civil Aviation Academy Australasia (Sky Careers)

Joseph Pilo, SFC Australia
Burcak Sezer, Newcastle Airport
Andrew Warrender, Newcastle Airport

Female Aviation Leader of the Year – Large Business

Nicolle Connelly, RMIT University and Airservices
Susan McHaffie, QantasLink
Marcela Medel, dnata Catering & Retail
Kim Passmore, Qantas

Nicole Powell, Leidos Australia

Burcak Sezer, Newcastle Airport
Nicole Wilson, Griffith University Aviation

Female Aviation Leader of the Year – SME

Georgie Arnold, Aviatrix International
Erin Douglas, Aeropower Helicopters
Celine Lakay, Maroomba Airlines
Zara Lintern, Casair Group
Sue-anne Munckton, Civil Aviation Academy Australasia (Sky Careers)
Summer Palmer, Javelin Aerospace Group

Sasha Robinson, Flightdeck Group

Angela Toutounji, SFC Australia
Angel Wong, FPV Australia
Renee Wootton Tomlin, LanzaJet

Professional Pilot of the Year

Alex Altus, Maroomba Airlines
Kayla Bentley, Royal Aero Club of New South Wales and Sydney Flight Training
Shannon Gee, BASE Aviation
David King, ACAM Pacific
Andrew McIntosh, SFC Australia
Nathan Teasdale, Australian Jump Pilot Academy
Shane Tobin, UPRT Australia
Neil Tucker, Australian Jump Pilot Academy

Michael Whitney, Babcock

Recreational Pilot of the Year

Priyansh Gupta, SFC Australia

Andrew Kornberg, Royal Childrens Hospital

Grace March, PathFinder
Elliot Powell, Royal Aero Club of New South Wales
William Raymond, SFC Australia
Max Scutchings, Adelaide Soaring Club
Byron Waller, Teen Pilot Down Under
Kirsten Wigren, SFC Australia

Rising Star – Large Business

Jana Goelz, Launceston Airport
Oliver Heys, Surf Life Saving NSW/Australian UAV Service
Ramia Jazdan, Griffith University

Allissa Li, Airbus

Nicole Wilson, Griffith University

Rising Star – SME

Brian Donn Familar, Aldermane
Lauren Garcia, Maroomba Airlines

Shannon Gee, BASE Aviation

Simron Hans, SFC Australia
Jonny Heron, SFC Australia
Jonathan Lam, Phoenix Aero Club
Jessica Liu, SFC Australia
Byron Waller, Teen Pilot Down Under

RPAS Pilot of the Year

Thomas Bitmatta, BMS Racing
Marcus Garrard, Surf Life Saving NSW/Australian UAV Service
Andrew Jones, Surf Life Saving NSW/Australian UAV Service

Joshua Orr, Surf Life Saving NSW/Australian UAV Service

Phillip Phoebe, Infravision
Dean West, Queensland Fire Department
Benjamin Wilcox, Infravision
Nick Wilcox, Infravision

Young Pilot of the Year

Chace Eldridge, Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Jack Gallen, Australian Jump Pilot Academy

Shannon Gee, BASE Aviation

Samuel Gross, SFC Australia
Imogen Morgan, SFC Australia
Max Scutchings, Adelaide Soaring Club
Barbara Sulicich, Australian Army
Johan van Buren, SFC Australia
Byron Waller, Teen Pilot Down Under
Larissa Wilbow, SFC Australia

Excellence Awards

Sue-anne Munckton, Civil Aviation Academy Australasia (Sky Careers)