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LAS VEGAS—Aviation Week editor Lee Ann Shay has won the 2026 Gold Wing Award for Journalism Excellence from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
The honor, announced at an Oct. 19 luncheon here during the runup to this year's NBAA-BACE show, is presented to a single journalist annually for “excellent, accurate and insightful reporting on issues related to business aviation.”
Shay, Aviation Week's Washington-based executive editor for MRO and business aviation, was honored for her article “Waypoint: Clueless, Careless, or Criminal?” which examined the persistent challenges of illegal charter and the industry's efforts to ensure on-demand operations are conducted safely and in full compliance with federal regulations.
“Lee Ann tackled an issue of critical importance to our industry with clarity, balance and nuance,” said NBAA Interim CEO Dan Hubbard. “Her reporting brought greater attention to the risks of illegal charter while highlighting the measures responsible operators take to meet rigorous safety and regulatory standards.”
The Gold Wing Award was presented to Shay by NBAA Board Chair John Witzig of Pfizer. She joins Aviation Week senior editors Molly McMillin, who captured the honor in 2013 and 2023, and Bill Carey, who won in 2017 and 2022.
NBAA also presented its David W. Ewald Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement and excellence in aviation media to Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief for Aviation International News (AIN).
Thurber, who is retiring at the end of October, was honored for decades of covering aviation with the perspective of an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)-rated pilot, instrument flight instructor and airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificate holder.
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