Mackay Trophy
The Mackay Trophy is awarded yearly by the National Aeronautic Association for the "most meritorious flight of the year" by an Air Force person, persons, or organization. The trophy is housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National [Air and Space Museum]. The award is administered by the NAA in cooperation with the U.S.A.F..
The award was established on 27 January 1911 by Clarence Mackay, who was then head of the Postal Telegraph-Cable Company and the Commercial Cable Company. Before the establishment of the Air Force in the 1940s, aviators could compete for the trophy annually under rules made each year or the War Department could award the trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year.
Awardees
The following is a list of awardees:1920s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1920 | Captain St. Clair Streett First Lieutenant Clifford C. Nutt Second Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson Second Lieutenant C. H. Crumrine Second Lieutenant Ross C. Kirkpatrick Sergeant Edmond Henriques Sergeant Albert T. Vierra Sergeant Joe E. English | For a flight from Mitchel Field, New York to Nome, Alaska and back. |
| 1921 | Lieutenant John Arthur Macready | World altitude record. |
| 1922 | Lieutenant John Arthur Macready Lieutenant Oakley George Kelly | World duration record. |
| 1923 | Lieutenant John Arthur Macready Lieutenant Oakley George Kelly | Non-stop transcontinental flight. |
| 1924 | Captain Lowell Herbert Smith First Lieutenant Leslie P. Arnold Second Lieutenant John Harding Jr. First Lieutenant Leigh Wade First Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson Second Lieutenant Henry H. Ogden | First round-the-world flight. |
| 1925 | Lieutenant James H. Doolittle Lieutenant Cyrus K. Bettis | For winning the Schneider and Pulitzer Races. |
| 1926 | Major Herbert A. Dargue Captain Ira Clarence Eaker Captain Arthur B. McDaniel Captain C. F. Woolsey First Lieutenant J. W. Benton First Lieutenant Charles McK Robinson First Lieutenant Muir Stephen Fairchild First Lieutenant Bernard S. Thompson First Lieutenant Leonard D. Weddingon First Lieutenant Ennis Whitehead | Pan-American Good Will Flyers. |
| 1927 | Lieutenant Albert Francis Hegenberger Lieutenant Lester James Maitland | First transoceanic flight to Hawaii |
| 1928 | Lieutenant Harry A. Sutton | Performing spin testing of observation aircraft. |
| 1929 | Captain A. W. Steven | Long range aerial photography. |
1930s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1930 | Major Ralph Royce | For conducting an 'Arctic Patrol' round trip flight from Selfridge Field to Spokane, Washington, in January 1930. The flight provided valuable information about equipment and personnel operating in extreme cold weather. |
| 1931 | Brigadier General Benjamin Delahauf Foulois | Commanded the 1st Air Divisions through 40,000 flying hours with no loss of life or serious injury. |
| 1932 | 11th Bombardment Squadron First Lieutenant Charles H. Howard | Relief missions to snowbound Navajo and Hopi. |
| 1933 | Captain Westside T. Larson | For his pioneering flights in connection with the development of methods and procedure of Aerial Frontier Defense. |
| 1934 | Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. Arnold | Commanding officer of mass flight of 10 Martin B-10s from Bolling Field to Fairbanks, Alaska, and back. |
| 1935 | Captain Albert William Stevens Captain Orvil Arson Anderson | Flew balloon to 72,395—a then-record. |
| 1936 | Captain Richard Emmel Nugent First Lieutenant Joseph A. Miller First Lieutenant Edwin G. Simenson Second Lieutenant William P. Ragsdale, Jr. Second Lieutenant Burton W. Armstrong Second Lieutenant Herbert Morgan, Jr. Tech Sergeant Gilbert W. Olson Staff Sergeant Howard M. Miller Corporal Air Mechanic 2/c Frank B. Connor | For demonstration of expert instrument flying and navigation, and the will to overcome obstacles to accomplish their mission under exceptionally adverse weather conditions during a flight of three B-10 s from Langley Field to Allegan, Michigan. |
| 1937 | Captain Carl J. Crane Captain George Vernon Holloman | For successful development and demonstration of an automatic landing system. |
| 1938 | 2d Bombardment Group Lieutenant Colonel Robert Olds | For good will flight to Buenos Aires and return. |
| 1939 | Major Caleb Vance Haynes Major William D. Old Captain John Alexander Samford First Lieutenant Richard S. Freeman First Lieutenant Torgils G. Wold Tech Sergeant William J. Heldt Tech Sergeant Henry L. Hines Tech Sergeant David L. Spicer Staff Sergeant Russell E. Junior Staff Sergeant James E. Sands Master Sergeant Adolph Cattarius | For flight of Boeing XB-15 from Langley Field to Chile on relief mission after 1939 Chillán earthquake. |
1940s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1940 | Not Awarded | |
| 1941 | Not Awarded | |
| 1942 | Not Awarded | |
| 1943 | Not Awarded | |
| 1944 | Not Awarded | |
| 1945 | Not Awarded | |
| 1946 | Not Awarded | |
| 1947 | Captain Chuck Yeager | First to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. |
| 1948 | Lieutenant Colonel Emil Beadury | For the rescue of twelve marooned airmen from the Greenland ice sheet |
| 1949 | Crew of Lucky Lady II Captain James G. Gallagher | First non-stop aerial round-the-world flight. |
1950s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1950 | 27th Fighter Wing | For moving 180 fighter jets across the Atlantic Ocean. |
| 1951 | Colonel Fred Ascani | For breaking the world speed record at 635.686 mph at the National Air Races. |
| 1952 | Major Louis H. Carrington, Jr. Major Frederick W. Shook Captain Wallace D. Yancey | First non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean in a multi-engine jet bomber; a B-45 Tornado. |
| 1953 | 40th [Air Division (United States)|40th Air Division] | For flying 25 F-84 Thunderjets non-stop from the United States to the United Kingdom and North Africa under adverse conditions. |
| 1954 | 308th Bombardment Wing | For successfully completing a leap from intercontinental maneuver, a milestone in expanding and proving the combined operational capabilities of the B-47 Stratojet and in determining fatigue limits of combat crews. |
| 1955 | Colonel Horace A. Hanes | Breaking the flight airspeed record at 822.1 mph in an F-100 Super Sabre at the National Air Show. |
| 1956 | Captain Iven C. Kincheloe | Breaking the flight altitude record in a Bell X-2. |
| 1957 | 93d Bombardment Wing | For non-stop circumnavigation of the globe by three B-52 Stratofortresses. |
| 1958 | Tactical Air Command's Air Strike Force, X-Ray Tango | For its rapid and effective deployment to the troubled Far East during the fall of 1958. |
| 1959 | U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds | For goodwill tour of the Far East. |
1960s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1960 | 6593d Test Squadron | For its first aerial recovery of an object from space orbit. |
| 1961 | Lieutenant Colonel William R. Payne Major William L. Polthemus Major Raymond R. Wagener | For their nonstop flight from Carswell Air Force Base to Paris, which culminated in the establishment of two international speed records. |
| 1962 | Major Robert G. Sowers Captain Robert MacDonald Captain John T. Walton | For flight as members of a B-58 Hustler crew which established three transcontinental speed records. |
| 1963 | Crew of C-47 "Extol Pink" Captain Warren P. Tomsett Captain John R. Ordemann Captain Donald R. Mack Tech Sergeant Edson P. Inlow Staff Sergeant Jack E. Morgan Staff Sergeant Frank C. Barrett | For the evacuation of wounded troops in Vietnam at night under enemy fire with a C-47 Skytrain. |
| 1964 | 464th Troop Carrier Wing | For its participation in the humanitarian airlift of some 1,500 hostages and refugees from rebel held territory in the Republic of the Congo during November 1964. |
| 1965 | Colonel Robert L. Stephens Lieutnenat Colonel Daniel Andre Lieutenant Colonel Walter F. Daniel Major Noel T. Warner Major James P. Cooney | For flight in the Lockheed YF-12, which culminated in the establishment of nine new world speed and altitude records. |
| 1966 | Lieutenant Colonel Albert R. Howarth | For his exemplary courage and airmanship as a pilot in a combat strike mission in Southeast Asia under hazardous conditions of darkness and intense enemy fire. |
| 1967 | Major John H. Casteel Captain Dean L. Hoar Captain Richard L. Trail Master Sergeant Nathan C. Campbell | For performing the first multiple aerial refueling between a KC-135 Stratotanker and an A-3 Skywarrior which simultaneously refueled an F-8 Crusader under emergency fuel shortages and combat condition. |
| 1968 | Lieutenant Colonel Daryl D. Cole | For gallantry as a C-130 Hercules pilot in the emergency evacuation of personnel in Vietnam. |
| 1969 | 49th Fighter Wing | For a flawless deployment of 72 F-4 Phantom IIs from Spangdahlem Air Base to Holloman Air Force Base without a single abort, completing 504 successful air-to-air refuelings on the 5,000 mile trip. |
1970s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1970 | Captain Alan D. Milacek Captain James A. Russell Captain Roger E. Clancy Captain Ronald C. Jones Captain Brent C. O'Brien Tech Sergeant Albert A. Nash Staff Sergeant Adolfo Lopez, Jr. Staff Sergeant Ronald R. Wilson Sergeant Kenneth E. Firestone Airman First Class Donnell H. Cofer | Displaying great courage in returning their heavily damaged aircraft to their air base. |
| 1971 | Lieutenant Colonel Thomas B. Estes Major Dewain C. Vick | For their operation of an SR-71 Blackbird aircraft establishing new world records for duration and distance covered. |
| 1972 | Captain Charles B. DeBellevue Captain Jeffrey S. Feinstein Captain R. Stephen Ritchie | For their extraordinary gallantry, superb airmanship, and intrepidity in the face of the enemy. |
| 1973 | Operation Homecoming Military Airlift Command Aircrews | For their efforts to repatriate U.S. prisoners of war from Vietnam. |
| 1974 | Major Roger J. Smith Major David W. Peterson Major Willard R. MacFarlane | For participating in F-15 advanced fight test during which time eight world class time-to-climb records were established. |
| 1976 | Captain James A. Yule | For gallantry and unusual presence of mind while participating in a flight as an instructor pilot of a B-52D Stratofortress. Captain James A Yule, distinguished himself by gallantry and unusual presence of mind while participating in an aerial flight as an instructor pilot of a B-52D aircraft on 19 May 1976. Captain Yule's flight developed a unique multiple emergency and he assumed command of the aircraft, and at great personal risk, checked out the hydraulic open wheel well area to detect the problem. Using initiative, he coordinated with ground agencies and crew members and determined that a safe landing could be made after loss of braking and complete failure of steering. Captain Yule's professional competence and outstanding airmanship under extreme stress resulted in successful recovery of the crew and a valuable aircraft. His courageous acts in landing a malfunctioning aircraft reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. |
| 1977 | Captain David M. Sprinkel Crew of C-5 Mission AAM 1962-01 Airman First Class John M. Thompson | The aircrew, composed of members from the 436th Military Airlift Wing and the 512th Military Airlift Wing, airlifted a large superconducting electromagnet, support equipment, and personnel in support of joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. energy research program. |
| 1978 | 3d Military Airlift Squadron Crew Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Schultz Lieutenant Colonel Daniel W. Pruitt Major John K. Roberts Captain Herbert H. Schaunaman, Jr. Captain John A. Messerly Tech Sergeant Owen L. Conlin Tech Sergeant Joe L. Dickey Staff Sergeant Raymond D. Stebleton Sergeant John E. Legere Sergeant David A. Kreyssig Senior Airman William W. Tepper Senior Airman Christopher A. Heitkamp Airman First Class Danny F. Jennings 9th Military Airlift Squadron Crew Major Jon S. Hillhouse Captain Todd H. Hohberger Captain Michael R. Smith Captain John P. Foley, Jr. Captain Douglas K. Kronemeyer Captain Michael A. Wright Master Sergeant Charles E. Harper Tech Sergeant Fred A. Booth, Jr. Tech Sergeant Joseph J. Clay Staff Sergeant David B. Pierson Airman First Class Thomas F. O’Brien Airman First Class Mark S. Homan | Two C-5 Galaxy aircrews from the 436th Military Airlift Wing conducted the first C-5 airlift mission in support of the free world effort against rebel forces in Zaire. |
| 1979 | Major James E. McArdle, Jr. | For exceptional aerial skill in rescuing 28 Taiwanese seamen from a sinking cargo ship. |
1980s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1980 | Crews S-21 and S-31 644th Bombardment Squadron Maj William Thurston III Maj John Durham Maj William Manley Capt Wayne Hesser Capt Corrie Kundert Capt Steven Nunn Capt Charles Schencke Capt Richard Zimmerman Capt Brent Bunch Capt Thomas Clark Capt Michael McConnell Capt James McLauchlin TSgt Samuel Carmona Sra Stephen McGinness | For executing a 43-hour non-stop, around-the world mission with the immediate objective of locating and photographing elements of the Soviet Navy operating in the Persian Gulf. Objectives for this flight were to prove to the Soviet Union that the aging B-52 could still perform its global mission as part of the US nuclear Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP). Another objective was to apply pressure to the Iranian government. The year before Iranian revolutionaries stormed the US Embassy taking 52 US diplomats and citizens hostage. The Iranian hostage crisis ultimately lasted for 444 days. As mentioned, a third objective was to use the long endurance flight capabilities of the B-52 to perform sea surveillance of foreign military forces. |
| 1981 | Captain John J. Walters | For participating in aerial flight as HH-3 Jolly Green Giant Commander in the rescue of 61 individuals, despite adverse conditions, from the burning cruise ship MS Prinsendam. |
| 1982 | Crew E-21 Captain Ronald L. Cavendish Captain Ronald D. Nass First Lieutenant James D. Gray First Lieutenant Michael J. Connor First Lieutenant Gerald E. Valentini Second Lieutenant Frank A. Boyle Tech Sergeant Ronald B. Wright | For successfully landing their crippled B-52 Stratofortress, under almost impossible conditions, thereby saving their lives and the aircraft. |
| 1983 | Crew E-113 Captain Robert J. Goodman Captain Michael F. Clover Captain Karol F. Wojcikowski Staff Sergeant Douglas D. Simmons | On 5 September 1983, the KC-135 Stratotanker crew saved an F-4 Phantom and its crew over the Atlantic. The KC-135 refueled the F-4 four times and towed it with the refueling boom. |
| 1984 | Lieutenant Colonel James L. Hobson, Jr. | For actions as aircraft commander of the lead MC-130E Combat Talon I during the Grenada rescue mission. |
| 1985 | Lieutenant Colonel David E. Faught | For heroism and outstanding airmanship in saving the lives of eight crewmembers and preventing the loss of an irreplaceable aircraft. |
| 1986 | Captain Marc D. Felman Captain Thomas M. Ferguson Master Sergeant Clarence Bridges, Jr. Master Sergeant Patrick S. Kennedy Master Sergeant Gerald G. Treadwell Tech Sergeant Lester G. Bouler Tech Sergeant Gerald M. Lewis Staff Sergeant Samuel S. Flores Staff Sergeant Scott A. Helms Staff Sergeant Gary L. Smith | Following a precipitous and hazardous launch in near zero-visibility weather conditions, the crew of a KC-10 Extender from the 68th Air Refueling Wing provided emergency refueling to a KC-10 and three A-4 Skyhawk over the Atlantic Ocean on 5 March 1986. |
| 1987 | Detachment 15, Air Force Plant Representative Office and B-1B System Program Office | |
| 1988 | Captain Michael Eastman Captain James Runk Captain Kelly Scott Senior Master Sergeant Arthur Vogt Master Sergeant Robert Downs Master Sergeant Charles Finnegan Master Sergeant William Tobler Master Sergeant James Maurer Technical Sergeant William Nunn Jr. Sergeant Andrew Benucci, Jr. Staff Sergeant Timothy Hahn Senior Airman Thomas Siler | For commanding C-5 Galaxy crew assigned to the 436th Military Airlift Wing. The aircraft and crew flew the first of the missions carrying equipment used to monitor nuclear testing to the Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan for joint verification experiments. |
| 1989 | Lieutenant Colonel Joseph G. Day Captain Jeffrey K. Beene Captain Vernon B. Benton Captain Robert H. Hendricks | For successfully conducting the first-ever gear-up emergency landing of a B-1 Lancer aircraft. |
1990s
| Year | Awardee | Action |
| 1990 | Crew of AC-130H Spectre Mission #1J1600GA354 16th Special Operations Squadron | For airmanship and outstanding professionalism of the crew during aerial flight over Panama during Operation Just Cause. |
| 1991 | Crew of Moccasin-05 Captain Tom Trask Major Mike Homan Master Sergeant Timothy Hadrych Tech Sergeant Gregory Vanhyning Tech Sergeant James A. Peterson, Jr. Staff Sergeant Craig Dock Sergeant Thomas Bedard | For extraordinary heroism and self-sacrifice of the crew during the rescue of the pilot of Slate 46, a downed U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. |
| 1992 | 310th Airlift Squadron crew Major Christopher J. Duncan Captain Peter B. Eunice Captain Daniel G. Sobel Captain Robert K. Stich Master Sergeant Joseph C. Beard, Jr. Master Sergeant Carl V. Wilson Tech Sergeant John H. Armintrout Tech Sergeant Charles G. Bolden Tech Sergeant Rory E. Calhoun Tech Sergeant Ray A. Fisher Tech Sergeant Peter J. Paquette Tech Sergeant Andrew W. Toth Tech Sergeant Darren R. Tresler Staff Sergeant Ronald P. Hetzel | For extraordinary resourcefulness and unusual presence of mind during an unprovoked attack in international airspace. |
| 1993 | Crew E-21 Major Peter B. Mapes Captain Jeffrey R. Swegel Captain Joseph D. Rosmarin Captain Charles W. Patnaude Lieutenant Glen J. Caneel | For quick thinking, immediate reaction, and astute situational awareness enabling them to return a crippled B-52 Stratofortress to stable flight and safe landing. |
| 1994 | Crew of Air Force Rescue 206 Captain John W. Blumentritt Captain Gary W. Henderson Staff Sergeant Matthew A. Wells Senior Airman Jeffrey M. Frembling Senior Airman Jesse W. Goerz Crew of Air Force Rescue 208 Lieutenant Colonel James A. Sills Lieutenant Colonel Gary L. Copsey Lieutenant Richard E. Assaf Tech Sergeant Gregory M. Reed Senior Airman William R. Payne | For extraordinary heroism and self-sacrifice during the rescue of six Icelanders sailors who were stranded when their ship foundered in heavy seas and strong winds. |
| 1995 | Crew of BAT-01 Lieutenant Colonel Doug Raaberg Captain Gerald Goodfellow Captain Kevin Clotfelter Captain Rick Carver Captain Chris Stewart Captain Steve Adams Captain Kevin Houdek Captain Steve Reeves | For the aerial achievement demonstrating the B-1 Lancer capability with live bombing activity over three bombing ranges on three continents in two hemispheres. |
| 1996 | Duke 01 Flight Crew Lt Col Floyd Carpenter Captain John Miller Captain Charles Simpson Captain Grey Morgan Lieutenant David Mack Captain Alan Ringle Captain Gary Brooks Captain Parker Northrup Captain Tim Hines Captain Jerry Hounchell Captain Kelly Lawson Captain Glen Caneel Captain James Melvin Captain Brett Lawless | For performing the first combat employment of the B-52H Stratofortress in history. |
| 1997 | Crew of Whiskey-05 MC-130H Combat Talon II Lieutenant Colonel Frank J. Kisner Major Robert S. Michaelson Captain John C. Baker Captain Reed Foster Captain Mark J. Ramsey Captain Robert P. Toth Master Sergeant Gordon H. Scott Tech Sergeant Tom L. Baker Staff Sergeant John D. Hensdill Staff Sergeant Jeffrey A. Hoyt | For overcoming hostile gunfire, three heavyweight air refuelings, and over 13 hours flying to their objective to insert a European survey and assessment team and extract 56 people from the escalating Republic of [the Congo Civil War (1997-99)|Republic of the Congo Civil War], achieving this goal while on the ground for less than 23 minutes. |
| 1998 | Crew of Air Force Rescue 470 | For making a mountaintop rescue of six survivors trapped inside an airplane which had crashed on a glacier during a near-zero visibility approach in winds gusting to 45 knots. |
| 1999 | Captain Jeffrey G. J. Hwang | In recognition of an exceptionally meritorious F-15C Eagle flight during combat operations in support of Operation Allied Force when he simultaneously destroyed two enemy aircraft during a single intercept. |