Jamie Freed Australia’s aviation journalist of the year

Jamie Freed with her aviation journalist of the year trophy alongside Airservices acting chief executive Jason Harfield and Cathay Pacific general manager South West Pacific Nelson Chin. (Seth Jaworski)

Jamie Freed from Fairfax Media has taken out the aviation journalist of the year award for 2015 at the National Aviation Press Club awards, while Australian Aviation managing editor Gerard Frawley, was named runner up in that category.

It was a night of double celebration for Freed, also won the aviation news story of the year for her Australian Financial Review piece titled “Qantas poised to buy 787-9s”.

Frawley too came away from the presentation dinner in Sydney on Friday November 27 with multiple awards, being named runner-up in the defence story of the year for “Full Spectrum” and the online story of the year for “End of an era as Qantas farewells the 767”.

Among the other winners, Aviation Week’s Adrian Schofield took out the feature story of the year for his story on Cathay Pacific “Proven Product”.

The defence story of the year category went to Rob Neil, whose article in Australian Aviation “Big Decisions” covered the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s future airlift options, while the magazine’s senior contributor Owen Zupp’s story about the Airbus E-Fan electric aircraft “Electric Evolution” was recognised as the technical aviation story of the year.

Photographer Alex Coppel from the Herald Sun received the photographer of the year award, while Ian McPhedran from News Corp Australia won the online story of the year for his story “The Royal Australian Air Force set to take delivery of new EA-18G Growler attack” published on news.com.au.

Also, veteran journalist Ben Sandilands, who writes the online blog Plane Talking, received a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his many decades covering aviation.

Meanwhile, the National Aviation Press Club has been renamed to the Australasian Aviation Press Club. And in a further change, long-time press club president Steve Creedy has stepped down from the role, with Geoffrey Thomas his replacement.

Plane Talking's Ben Sandilands with National Aviation Press Club president Steve Creedy. (Seth Jaworski) — Plane Talking’s Ben Sandilands with National Aviation Press Club president Steve Creedy. (Seth Jaworski)

Aviation Week's Adrian Schofield with Airbus regional director for the Pacific Mike Homer. (Seth Jaworski) — Aviation Week’s Adrian Schofield with Airbus regional director for the Pacific Mike Homer. (Seth Jaworski)

Aviation journalist of the year (sponsored by Airservices and Cathay Pacific)

Winner: Jamie Freed, Fairfax Media
Runner-up: Gerard Frawley, Australian Aviation

Aviation photographer of the year (sponsored by Hawker Pacific and Singapore Airlines)

Winner: Alex Coppel, Herald Sun
Runner-up: Derek Flynn, Marlborough Express

Aviation news story (sponsored by Sydney Airport)

Winner: Jamie Freed, “Qantas poised to buy 787-9s“, Australian Financial Review
Runner-up: Jordan Chong, “Airservices managing conflicts of interest: Houston”, Australian Aviation