NAA Names 2023 Henderson Trophy Recipient

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has announced that it will award the 2023 Clifford Henderson Trophy to Sisters of the Skies. The organization was selected for “their commitment to increase awareness of the opportunities in aviation and increase the number of Black female pilots who are introduced, celebrated, and supported through their scholarship, mentorship, professional development, and outreach programs.” Sisters of the Skies was launched in 2016 with the goal of connecting Black female commercial and U.S. military pilots.

“The growth of aviation as an industry and as a career is threatened by the lack of a broad pipeline for talent,” said NAA President and CEO Greg Principato. “Sisters of the Skies makes an incredible contribution to solving that problem. They are building the future of aviation. It is exactly this kind of passion and commitment that we seek to honor with the Clifford Henderson Trophy, and it will be an honor to present the 2023 award to Sisters of the Skies.”

Named for Clifford W. Henderson, the current iteration of the Henderson Trophy was first awarded in 1960. According to NAA, nominees are proposed by the association’s president and approved by its executive committee. Awarded annually, the Henderson Trophy goes to “a living individual, group of individuals, or an organization whose vision, leadership or skill made a significant and lasting contribution to the promotion and advancement of aviation and aerospace.”