Awarded to a pilot under the age of 30 for outstanding achievement and endeavour in any field of flying activity.

2010: Awarded twice to Isabelle de Montet-Guerin and to Captain Robert Shoenberg USAF

ISABELLE DE MONTET-GUERIN

Isabelle de MontetâGuerin obtained RAF flying and sixth form scholarships at the age of 17. Hoping to follow in her father's footsteps by joining the RAF, she fell short of the required arm length. She applied for a BA Sponsored Flying Training Programme, from which she graduated some three months short of her 20th birthday.

She was selected to fly HM the Queen to Africa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2003 and, demonstrating consistently high standards of flying and training abilities, at the age of only 23, became BA's youngest Type Rating Instructor/Examiner on the 757/767.

Always having wanted to be a Test Pilot, she was accepted as the first ever ETPS self sponsored student on the Fixed Wing Flight Test Diploma Course. This course was designed to meet the TB2 Test Pilot/EASA Cat 2 Developmental Test Pilot Rating requirements. Isabelle demonstrated considerable dedication by acquiring the mathematical knowledge required for the course, and also made a significant financial commitment by reâmortgaging her house and taking unpaid leave from BA.

Her course reports/references from BA and ETPS were exceptional, showing her to be someone of genuine academic ability with impressive piloting skills, a formidable capacity for hard work, and an innate aptitude for the world of Flight Test and Training. At ETPS she was a model student and proved herself to be a 'reliable, conscientious and endearing student colleagues with a strong team ethic'. Referred to as 'one of the most enthusiastic students ever seen at ETPS, mention was also made of 'her determination to succeed, her enthusiastic and motivated approach, together with her markedly altruistic approach to helping others'.

Wishing to utilise and expand her skills in a broader environment, she applied for a post with Cobham plc, and was offered a Direct Entry Training Command, with the intention being for her also to join the Test Department.  Isabelle is also a commissioned officer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve and, excelling in that sphere as well, achieved the very rare distinction of being given a promotion in the field to A Category Instructor at only 21 years of age.

She is an exceptional individual with a first class professional approach, and team-orientated personal qualities of the highest standard. In the words of the Chief Instructor, ETPS, 'she is an absolute inspiration to those who seek to demonstrate the highest standards in aviation, especially within the flight testing environment'.  She is a very deserving recipient of the Grand Master’s Medal.

CAPTAIN ROBERT SCHOENEBERG USAF

Captain Robert “Spartan” Schoeneberg was one of the first group of five lieutenants hand-picked from Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training to join the B-2 Stealth programme.  Capt Schoeneberg is not yet 30 years of age and is dual qualified as an Instructor Pilot in the T-38 Talon as well as the B-2 Spirit Bomber.  He has graduated with Distinguished Graduate honours from every formal training programme that he has attended since beginning his flying career.

His track record of excellence started when he graduated in first place from the Reserve Officer Training Corps programme at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.  From there, he attended Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where he again graduated in the top 10% of his class, winning the Air Education and Training Command Commander’s Trophy and Outstanding Leadership Award.  Following his outstanding performance at JSUPT, Capt Schoeneberg attended Pilot Instructor Training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, becoming an instructor pilot in the T-38.  He then entered B-2 Initial Qualification Training at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.  Again Capt Schoeneberg’s stellar performance earned him the Academic Excellence Award for scoring 100% on all 22 of his B-2 academic examinations.  Capt Schoeneberg later received “Exceptionally Qualified” ratings on both his Tâ38 and B-2 check rides during the same year.

After earning promotion to Captain, he was selected to attend Squadron Officer School (SOS) at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.  His outstanding performance was recognised once again, graduating from SOS in first place out of 14 officers.  Maintaining full qualification as an instructor pilot on both jets, he is recognised perennially as the best of the best.  He won Instructor Pilot of the Year in 2006 at Whiteman Air Force Base.  Capt Schoeneberg is the only pilot in the world, currently under the age of 30, who simultaneously maintains instructor pilot ratings in both the Tâ38 Talon and the B-2 Spirit Bomber.  These feats combined with his record of outstanding performance, put him in a class of his own, and he is accordingly awarded the Grand Master’s Medal.

Previous Winners

1962 M P Glegg Esq

1963 D A Martin Esq

1964 T A Henderson Esq

1965 P G Hadgett Esq

1966 J W D Robertson Esq

1967 R J Barbour Esq

1968 A J E Tiley Esq

1969 C Redrupp Esq

1970 R G P Taylor Esq

1971 D Smethurst Esq

1972 G G Leask Esq

1973 J F Rothwell Esq

1974 G J Bressey Esq

1975 J F Nash Esq

1976 M J Thrower Esq

1977-91 Not Awarded

1992 M D W Bowker Esq

1993 R Ka Fuk Cheung Esq

1994 W S Gilmour Esq

1995 Jamal Jamal Mohammed Jamal

1996 Matthew J Clatworthy Esq

1997 Emma Joanne Phelps

1998 Captain W I E Anderson

1999 Pilot Ofiicer J S Clayton

2000 Nicholas Chan

2001 Flight Lieutenant Nicola Thomas

2002 Daniel Fonseca MEng (Hons) GradRAeS

2003 Philip Gareth Donovan

2004 Peter Charles Edward Nye

2005 not awarded

2006 not awarded

2007 not awarded

2008 not awarded

2009 not awarded

2010 awarded twice
   Isabelle de Montet-Guerin
   Captain Robert Shoenberg USAF