The Onizuka Prop Wash Award recognizes the student at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) who contributed most to class spirit and morale. The honoree from each class is selected by his or her fellow students rather than by school faculty. The award is named in memory of TPS graduate Ellison Onizuka who perished in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
History The Prop Wash Award was introduced at the USAF Test Pilot school in 1956. The award takes the form of a wooden aircraft propeller to which plaques bearing the name of each honoree are mounted. Prop wash refers to the spiral-shaped slipstream formed behind a rotating propeller on an aircraft. The phrase, Illegitimi non carborundum, a mock-Latin aphorism meaning "Don't let the bastards grind you down" is engraved on the face.
The first recipient of the award was Major Joseph W. Rogers from class 56D who would later set a world speed record in the Convair F-106 Delta Dart. Captain Onizuka was also a recipient when he graduated from the Test Pilot School with class 74B. After Onizuka's death, the members of his class requested a rededication of the award. The inscription was changed in June 1988 for the graduation of TPS class 87B.
The USAF Test Pilot School participates in an exchange program with other test communities. U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps students from the Naval Test Pilot School at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland attend the USAF TPS and vice versa. Foreign students may also attend and include those from the Empire Test Pilots' School at Boscombe Down, England, and the EPNER (École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception), the French Test Pilots' School. All students at the USAF TPS are eligible to receive the Prop Wash Award.
Recipients The following table contains an incomplete list of Onizuka Prop Wash award recipients including name, country (if not the United States of America), military branch (if not the United States Air Force), military rank at the time of the award, and USAF Test Pilot School class number.
Individual was killed in a work-related (aviation) accident. Multiple individuals shared the award. Name Rank Class Ref O-04Major 1956-0456D O-03Captain 1957-0157A O-03Captain 1957-0357C O-03Captain 1957-0457D O-02First lieutenant 1958-0158A O-03Captain 1958-0258B O-03Captain 1958-0358C * O-03Captain 1959-0159A O-03Captain 1959-0259B O-03Captain 1959-0359C O-03Captain 1960-0160A CWOChief warrant officer 1960-0260B O-03Captain 1960-0360C O-03Captain 1961-0161A O-03Captain 1961-0361C O-03Captain 1962-0162A O-03Captain 1962-0362C O-03Captain 1970-0270B O-03Captain 1971-0171A O-04Major 1971-0271B O-03Captain 1972-0172A O-04Major 1972-0272B O-04Lieutenant commander 1973-0173A O-04Major 1974-0174A O-03Captain 1974-0274B O-03Captain 1975-0175A O-03Captain 1975-0275B O-03Captain 1976-0176A O-03Captain 1976-0276B O-03Captain 1977-0177A O-03Captain 1977-0277B O-03Captain 1978-0178A O-03Captain 1978-0278B O-03Captain 1979-0179A O-03Captain 1979-0279B O-03Captain 1980-0180A O-03Captain 1980-0280B O-04Major 1981-0181A O-03Captain 1981-0281B O-03Captain 1982-0182A O-03Captain 1982-0282B O-03Captain 1983-0183A O-04Major 1983-0283B O-03Captain 1984-0184A O-03Captain 1984-0284B O-03Captain 1985-0185A O-03Captain 1985-0285B O-03Captain 1986-0186A O-03Captain 1986-0286B O-03Captain 1987-0187A O-03Flight lieutenant 1987-0287B O-04Major 1988-0188A O-03Captain 1988-0288B O-03Captain 1989-0189A O-03Captain 1989-0289B O-03Captain 1990-0190A O-03Captain 1990-0290B O-03Captain 1991-0191A O-03Lieutenant 1991-0291B O-03Captain 1992-0192A O-03Captain 1992-0292B O-03Captain 1993-0193A O-03Captain 1993-0293B O-03Captain 1994-0194A O-03Captain 1994-0294B O-03Captain 1995-0195A O-04Major 1995-0295B O-03Captain 1996-0196A O-03Captain 1996-0296B O-03Captain 1997-0197A O-03Captain 1997-0297B O-03Captain 1998-0198A O-03Captain 1998-0298B O-04Major 1999-0199A O-03Captain 1999-0299B O-03Captain 2000-0100A O-03Captain 2003-0203B O-03Lieutenant 2006-0206B O-04Major 2008-0108A O-03Captain 2008-0108B O-04Major 2009-0109A O-04Major 2009-0209B O-03Captain 2010-0110A O-03Captain 2010-0210B O-04Major 2011-0111A O-03Captain 2011-0111A O-04Major 2011-0211B O-03Captain 2012-0112A O-03Captain 2012-0212B (USN) O-04Commander 2013-0113A O-03Captain 2013-0213B O-04Captain 2017-0B14B O-04Major 2016-0B16B O-03Captain 2016-0B16B O-04Major 2017-0B17B O-04Air Marshal 2018-0B18B O-04Major 2019-0B19A
See also
List of aviation awards
References
External links