Stewart Wilson from Aero Australia has taken out the aviation journalist of the year for 2014 at the National Aviation Press Club awards, edging out Australian Aviation senior contributor Geoffrey Thomas who was named runner-up in that category.
Thomas won two other awards at the presentation dinner, which took place in Sydney on Friday November 28.
The veteran journalist won the aviation technical story of the year category for his piece on the Asiana 777 crash at San Francisco in the March edition of Australian Aviation, titled “Coming up short”.
And writing in The West Australian, Thomas’s article “MH370 search shifts south” took out the aviation news story of the year.
Photographer and Australian Aviation contributor Paul Sadler was delighted to receive the aviation photographer of the year gong, while Tony Moclair’s Australian Aviation article “The labours of Hercules” earned him a runner-up nod in the aviation defence story of the year.
And Australian Aviation senior contributor Tom Ballantyne’s article published by Al Jazeera online, “Malaysia Airlines: Blame game has yet to begin”, won best online story for 2014.
Full list of winners
Aviation Journalist of the year
Winner: Stewart Wilson Aero Australia
Runner-up: Geoffrey Thomas The West Australian, Airline Ratings, Australian Aviation
Aviation News Story
Winner: Geoffrey Thomas, “MH370 search shifts south” The West Australian
Runner-up: Ben Sandilands, “MH370 interim report is seriously deficient” Plane Talking
Aviation Feature Story
Winner: Matt O’Sullivan and Adele Ferguson, “Mayday” Sydney Morning Herald
Runner-up: Cameron Stewart, “Flight to freedom” The Australian
Aviation Defence Story
Winner: Nigel Pittaway, “Small but deadly” Air Forces Monthly
Runner-up: Tony Moclair, “The labours of Hercules” Australian Aviation
Aviation Technical Story
Winner: Geoffrey Thomas, “Coming up short” Australian Aviation
Runner-up: Nigel Pittaway, “Digital interface for F’35 Lightning II” Air International Special
Aviation Online Story
Winner: Tom Ballantyne, “Malaysia Airlines: Blame game has yet to begin” Al Jazeera Online
Runner-up: Margo Marchbank, “RPA – taking flight” Flight Safety Australia
Aviation Photographer of the year
Winner: Paul Sadler Australian Aviation
Runner-up: Martin de Ruyter The Nelson Mail
