Don Bateman, chief engineer of AlliedSignal's avionics team, last night achieved one of the industry's greatest accolades when he was awarded the title Aerospace Industry's Personality of the Year.
Batemen was honoured at a glittering ceremony at Le Musée des Arts Forains in Bercy where hundreds of aerospace professionals gathered to pay tribute to the industry's best.
The Aerospace Industry Awards, now the premier event of its kind, is organised by Flight International and backed by major industry sponsors.
Batemen is considered by many to be the father of the ground proximity warning system (GPWS) and the more advanced enhanced system, EGPWS.
He holds more than 100 patents relating to terrain avoidance systems and his successes in this area have led to a marked reduction in the number of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents - the number one aviation killer. ICAO statistics indicate that the global CFIT rate had been cut by more than a half since it recommended use of GPWS and EGPWS
Boeing, which picked up no fewer than three of the class awards, also celebrated in style.
Source: Flight Daily News
