2026 Neil Armstrong Outstanding Achievement Awardees Named
The National Aviation Hall of Fame announced recently that Mark R. Baker and Bruce Landsberg are co-recipients of the 2026 Neil Armstrong Outstanding Achievement Award. Distinguished leaders in general aviation, Baker and Landsberg have each made profound and lasting contributions to aviation safety, education and pilot advocacy, collectively elevating the culture of safety across the industry.
Baker, retired president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, is a highly accomplished aviator with more than 10,000 hours of flight experience. He was profiled in King Air magazine’s April 2020 issue alongside the 1980 Beechcraft King Air F90 he owned at the time. Baker has dedicated his career to expanding access to GA and strengthening the voice of pilots nationwide. He advanced pilot engagement and safety through his leadership of AOPA, the AOPA Foundation and the International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations. His efforts to modernize industry outreach, promote airport and airspace protections and grow the aviation community have helped ensure a strong future for general aviation.
Landsberg, retired vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, has shaped the national culture of aviation safety through decades of distinguished service. During his tenure with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation and Air Safety Institute, Landsberg earned international recognition for advancing safety education, producing industry-leading training resources and delivering thousands of seminars and publications to pilots nationwide. With more than 7,500 hours of flight experience and a career spanning the U.S. Air Force, Cessna Aircraft Company, Flying magazine and Flight Safety International, he has been a steadfast advocate for data-driven safety innovation and pilot proficiency. He is also a recipient of the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot award.
In announcing Baker and Landsberg as recipients, the NAHF said the two have set new standards for aviation leadership, strengthening pilot education, expanding safety awareness and promoting responsible, lifelong aviation citizenship. Their combined efforts have had a transformative impact on the GA community and exemplify the enduring legacy of the Armstrong Award.
Baker and Landsberg will be honored on Sept. 23, 2026, as part of the NAHF’s 62nd annual enshrinement events in Washington, D.C. Aviation enthusiasts, industry leaders and returning enshrinees are expected to attend two days of events celebrating excellence in aviation. Events are open to the public with advance registration. Source: nationalaviation.org
AOPA Creates Mental Health Resource Hub
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association used May’s Mental Health Awareness Month to deliver mental health education, training and resources to general aviation pilots and flight instructors. The monthlong initiative culminated with the content permanently stored on a new mental health resource center at aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute/mental-health-resource-center.
“Many pilots have been wary of seeking treatment for mental health concerns out of fear they would no longer be allowed to fly,” said Katie Pribyl, AOPA acting co-president. “We’ve seen a high level of engagement with this initiative, and we believe it’s because there are pilots out there who want to know their options, while also wanting the stigma to disappear.”
Among the deliverables were the release of an interview with Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup and a new elective in the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s electronic Flight Instructor Refresher Course.
Northrup, who leads the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine, said her team continues to explore ways to help make the process smoother and allow pilots access to a wider range of medications while also highlighting important resources and reducing the amount of time some pilots wait for the FAA to review their medical application.
Northrup also discussed an upcoming amnesty program to encourage pilots to self-report past diagnoses and treatment but noted it may require pilots to self-ground while their case is evaluated, though it would not result in consequences for past falsification.
“Things are moving in the right direction, but like anything involving pilots and safety, it takes time,” said Jill Baker, AOPA acting co-president. “Our goal this month is for pilots to understand the resources that are available today, and that AOPA has your back. All AOPA members have the benefit of our Pilot Information Center, and every year, our medical certification team helps thousands of pilots understand the process and then, if they require a special issuance, can help them through that process.”
ASI’s eFIRC has also released a new elective as part of the initiative, making it the only flight instructor refresher course that offers mental health content. Thousands of instructors complete a FIRC every two years to stay current as a CFI. Source: aopa.org
New FAA Mental Wellness Policy Supports Counseling
The National Business Aviation Association welcomed a recent Federal Aviation Administration aeromedical policy update encouraging pilots and air traffic controllers to seek counseling and mental health support early and without fear that receiving talk therapy would jeopardize their medical certification, marking an important shift in the agency’s approach to mental wellness.
Rather than viewing participation in counseling or psychotherapy as a potential red flag, the revised policy explicitly encourages pilots and ATCs to seek help through counseling, psychotherapy and peer-support programs when appropriate.
Further, aviation medical examiners are now directed to focus on any underlying conditions and their severity when making certification decisions, rather than the presence of counseling. If the aviator is functioning well, the AME can issue. If the AME has significant concerns, they can defer the decision to the FAA.
“This is an important step forward in reducing stigma and encouraging early intervention, treatment and resolution,” said Mark Larsen, NBAA director for safety and flight operations. “Mental health challenges can affect anyone and pilots and controllers should feel empowered to seek support when they need it.”
The FAA has also issued new guidance for therapists that pilots and ATCs should share with their provider (found at faa.gov/ame_guide). It includes a suggested format to provide a summary outlining the patient’s diagnosis, severity, resilience and ability to self-monitor, when requested by the FAA. NBAA recommends that pilots and ATCs bring this summary to their AME appointment.
“Having this summary for your AME at the outset is a proactive step toward ‘preflighting your medical,’” Larsen said. “It could mark the difference between walking out of the appointment with your certificate versus delays to that process that could extend several months.”
The policy update complements other recent FAA initiatives aimed at modernizing mental health certification pathways. That includes revised guidance issued last year for pilots with anxiety and depression, as well as ongoing revisions to the list of agency-approved medications to treat such conditions.
These changes follow recommendations made by the FAA’s Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee on which NBAA participated.
“This policy is certainly worth celebrating on its own, but it’s also an important piece of a much larger effort by the FAA to modernize how it approaches mental health in aviation,” added NBAA Flight Operations Specialist Laila Stein, who participated on the ARC with Larsen. “This talk therapy guidance is a significant step forward, but its real value becomes even clearer when connected to the FAA’s broader framework for supporting mental health while maintaining safety.”
Larsen noted the agency’s continued efforts reflect growing recognition that encouraging treatment is safer than discouraging it.
“Reducing barriers to care benefits both individual aviators and the broader aviation system,” he said. “We appreciate the FAA’s continued progress in this area and look forward to working together on additional improvements that support both mental wellness and aviation safety.” Source: nbaa.org
Oshkosh NOTAM Is Required Reading for AirVenture-bound Pilots
There are several important FAA-approved updates in the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 Notice (commonly referred to as the Oshkosh NOTAM), featuring arrival and departure procedures for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 73rd fly-in convention on July 20-26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. These changes are based on pilot feedback and FAA review of arrival procedure recommendations.
The document is in effect from noon CDT on Thursday, July 16, until noon CDT on Monday, July 27, and outlines procedures for the many types of aircraft that fly to Oshkosh for the event, as well as aircraft that land at nearby airports. The notice was designed by the FAA to assist pilots in their EAA AirVenture flight planning.
The ATC-assignable transition points approaching Oshkosh from the west that will ease holding and congestion will again be in effect in 2026. These points are at Endeavor Bridge, Puckaway Lake and Green Lake. They will be announced on the arrival ATIS when ATC activates them at times of highest traffic flows.
“The most essential information for any pilot flying to Oshkosh involves reading and thoroughly understanding the 2026 AirVenture Notice to ensure safe operations on arrival and departure,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety. “We urge all pilots to adequately prepare prior to their trip to Oshkosh and consider such things as our AirVenture arrival flight review so they have the proficiency and confidence to fly safely.”
Pilots can download a digital version of the notice at eaa.org/notam or order a free printed copy via that website or by calling EAA Membership Services at (800) 564-6322. Source: eaa.org
EAA WomenVenture Scheduled During AirVenture Oshkosh 2026
Celebrating women involved in aircraft design, building and testing will be highlighted at EAA WomenVenture during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in convention is July 20-26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with WomenVenture flagship programming scheduled on Wednesday, July 22.
“This year, we wanted to focus on the ‘Design, Build, Test’ theme, as these women are at the forefront of new developments in the ever-expanding aviation industry,” said Margaret Brill, vice president of the EAA Aviation Foundation, who coordinates WomenVenture.
Programming includes a group photo, a luncheon with a keynote speaker and an evening panel discussion featuring highly accomplished women in aircraft development. In addition to the July 22 activities, the EAA WomenVenture Center on the AirVenture grounds will be open all week, featuring 12 aviation organization exhibitors, daily forums and social gatherings on the covered patio.
Get more details at eaa.org/womenventure, including how to register for this year’s free commemorative T-shirt, designed by EAA member Justine Boyer. Source: eaa.org