Finmeccanica – AgustaWestland announced that three of its AW609 test pilots have received from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots the prestigious Iven C. Kincheloe award and were recognized at the Society’s annual gala.

The Kincheloe Award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishment in the conduct of flight-testing by a test pilot member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and is the most visible recognition of the Society’s contribution to the aviation community.

The award was given to recognize the achievements of experimental test pilots Dan Wells, Paul Edwards and Pietro Venanzi, for the successful power-off conversions and autorotation trials that were completed between March and April of 2014.

The tests were conducted as part of FAA civil certification activities and covered the full wind-milling and autorotation envelopes, which earlier in 2014 marked another major achievement for the development of the world’s first civil tiltrotor.

The AW609 flight testing aircraft have so far logged over 1,000 hours, and a third aircraft now in final assembly will soon join the program as development continues towards FAA civil certification.

Agusta Westland press release