The Friend of the Society Award pays tribute to individuals or organizations who have provided an exceptional and notable contribution to the operation and the objectives of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots

Society of Experimental Test Pilots

The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggestions of the members, assisting in the professional...

 (SETP). The award was established in 1995 and is sponsored by SETP. A Friend of the Society is not a member of SETP, and there is no requirement for a Friend of the Society to be awarded every year. Honorees are announced at the annual Awards Banquet in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 where they receive public recognition and a commemorative plaque.

Criteria

A Friend of the Society must meet the following criteria:

1. Candidates may not be members of the Society and it is preferred that candidates not be eligible for membership in the Society.
2. The candidate must, over a significant time period, have made a significant contribution to the operation support and the objectives of the Society.

Recipients

Recipients of this award, from 1995 to present, include:

• 1995—Barron Hilton
  Barron Hilton
  William Barron Hilton I is an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir. He is the former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers...
  
  , Hilton Hotels Corporation
  Hilton Hotels Corporation
  Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company. It is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. As of July 2011 Hilton brands encompass 3,750 hotels with over 600,000 rooms in 84 countries...
  
  
• 1996—Dr. Gerry Morton, Robert Staubli
• 1997—No recipient for this year
• 1998—David Hartman
  David Hartman (TV personality)
  David Downs Hartman is an American journalist and media host who began his media career as an actor. He currently anchors and hosts documentary programs on cable TV's History and on PBS. Hartman is best known as the first host of ABC's Good Morning America, from 1975 to 1987. As an actor, he...
  
  , Rodman-Downs Ltd.
• 1999—Chaplain William Willson, CHCUSN (Ret)
• 2000—Dr. Richard P. Hallion
  Richard P. Hallion
  Dr. Richard P. Hallion is Senior Adviser for Air and Space Issues, Directorate for Security, Counterintelligence and Special Programs Oversight, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for analysis and insight regarding the conceptualization, evolution and utilization of sensitive national...
  
  , USAF
  United States Air Force
  The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
  
   Historian and Dr. James O. Young, AFFTC
  Air Force Flight Test Center
  The Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's inventory since World War II...
  
   Chief Historian
• 2001—Bob Lafey, Boeing
  Boeing
  The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
  
  , Audio Visual and Claude Pasquis, CLP Enterprises, Audio Visual
• 2002—Dan Sabovich
• 2003—Fred Johnsen
• 2004—Trevor Bushell, BAE Systems
  BAE Systems
  BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
  
  and John Hodgeson
• 2005—Tom Roberts
• 2006—Michael A. Dornheim and Ken Szalai
• 2007—Dana Kilanowski
• 2008—Award was not presented
• 2009—Hank Caruso, ForeFeathers Enterprises