The Aviation Week & Space Technology Distinguished Service Award — the oldest of the Foundation’s awards — has been sponsored since 1949 by Aviation Week & Space Technology and is administered by the Foundation.
The award is presented every other year for “distinguished service in achieving safer utilization of aircraft.” It was the brainchild of Jerry Lederer, the founder of Flight Safety Foundation and a pioneer in aviation safety, who saw a need for an award to honor the people and organizations responsible for major advances in aviation safety.
| 2013 | H. E. Saif Mohammed Al Sawaidi, United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority |
| 2012 | Jay Pardee, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration |
| 2011 | No award |
| 2010 | No award |
| 2009 | Civil Aviation Administration of China |
| 2008 | Capt. Dave Carbaugh, The Boeing Co. |
| 2007 | Jean Pinet, Académie de l’Air et de l’Espace |
| 2006 | No award |
| 2005 | John R. Hallinan, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Alaskan Region |
| 2004 | John E. O’Brien, Air Line Pilots Association, International |
| 2003 | Dr. Tony Kern, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture |
| 2002 | Capt. Akrivos Tsolakis, Hellenic Republic National Aviation Safety Board |
| 2001 | Capt. Yun-Ling Lee, China Airlines |
| 2000 | Capt. Daniel E. Maurino, International Civil Aviation Organization |
| 1999 | Capt. Mike Holtom, British Airways |
| 1998 | Ronald M. McGregor, U.S. Air Force Safety Center |
| 1997 | Don Bateman, AlliedSignal Aerospace |
| 1996 | Anthony J. Broderick, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration |
| 1995 | Capt. James C. Waugh (retired), Pan American World Airways |
| 1994 | Robert L. Helmreich, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin; Dennis A. Nollen, Ph.D., DuPont Advanced Material Systems |
| 1993 | William W. Melvin, Air Line Pilots Association, International |
| 1992 | Ronald Ashford, U.K. Civil Aviation Authority; M. Craig Beard, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration |
| 1991 | Charles R. Higgins, The Boeing Co. |
| 1990 | Tirey K. Vickers |
| 1989 | Capt. Hidemaro Nagano, Japan Air Lines |
| 1988 | Capt. L. Homer Mouden |
| 1987 | John K. Lauber, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board |
| 1986 | Harold D. Hoekstra (retired), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration |
| 1985 | Capt. David A. Simmon, United Airlines |
| 1984 | Paul R. Powers, Bell Helicopter Textron lnc. |
| 1983 | Fredrick B. McIntosh (retired), National Business Aircraft Association |
| 1982 | Walter S. Luffsey, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration |
| 1981 | Capt. B. Victor Hewes, Delta Air Lines |
| 1980 | Richard Aarons, Business and Commercial Aviation |
| 1979 | Charles Billings, M.D., U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center |
| 1978 | W.P. Rollings, Bell Helicopter Textron |
| 1977 | Dr. T. Theodore Fujita, University of Chicago |
| 1976 | Joseph Tymczyszyn, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration |
| 1975 | George Wansbeek, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines |
| 1974 | General Aviation Manufacturers Association and its Safe Pilot Program |
| 1973 | Ralph Nelson, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association |
| 1972 | Joseph M. Chase; Capt. Emil E. Glanz, Capt. Thomas Oakes and Capt. Charles R. Tennstedt, Eastern Air Lines |
| 1971 | A. W. (Tony) LeVier; Charles O. Miller, Director, Bureau of Aviation Safety, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board |
| 1970 | Air Transport Association; National Business Aircraft Association; Dr. Matthew Radnofsky, U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Manned Space Center |
| 1969 | Dr. Charles L. Elworth and Dr. Conrad L. Kraft, The Boeing Co. |
| 1968 | Walter B. Horne, U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Willard G. Plentl, Virginia State Division of Aeronautics |
| 1967 | James Campbell and U.S. Federal Aviation Agency; Herbert Fisher, Port of New York Authority; Jerome Lederer, Flight Safety Foundation; Dr. Clifford Seitz, Grumman Aircraft; technical staff of Trans World Airlines |
| 1966 | William A. Patterson, United Airlines; Bureau of Safety, U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board; Capt. J. D. Smith, United Airlines; Technical Staff of International Civil Aviation Organization |
| 1965 | John Gibbs (posthumously), British European Airways; Ray D. Kelly, United Airlines; Transatlantic Air Traffic Controllers (U.S., British, Canadian); Frank White, Air Transport Association of America |
| 1964 | Capt. John B. Clark, American Airlines, and Paul A. Soderlind, Northwest Airlines; Jack Eggspuehler, Ohio State University and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation; U.S. Army Helicopter Primary School; P.B. Walker, U.K. Royal Aircraft Establishment |
| 1963 | Capt. Carl M. Christenson, United Airlines; personnel manning ocean station vessels; John J. Swearingen, U.S. Federal Aviation Agency Civil Aeromedical Research Institute |
| 1962 | Maj. Gen. John D. Caldara, U.S. Air Force; Donald W. Douglas Sr.; Dr. John C. Lane; Capt. Sam P. Saint, American Airlines |
| 1961 | Air Line Pilots Association; British European Airways; Dr. A. C. Bryan, Royal Canadian Air Force; Newton A. Lieurance, U.S. Weather Bureau |
| 1960 | Bo Lundberg, Aeronautical Institute of Sweden; Richard Rhoed, U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| 1959 | J.B. Bartow; Henry Harrison, United Airlines; Dr. Walter Tye, U.K. Air Registration Board |
| 1958 | A. Howard Hasbrook; Edwin A. Link; Otto E. Kirchner; University of Southern California; U.S. Coast Guard |
| 1957 | Gen. E. P. Curtis, U.S. Air Force; George H. Tryon III |
| 1956 | Melvin N. Gough; Arthur E. Jenks; William Littlewood; Dr. Edward P. Warner |
| 1955 | Dr. Barry King, U.K. Civil Aviation Authority, Medical Division; Stanislaw Krzyczkowski, International Air Transport Association; Francis Moseley |
| 1954 | Lt. Col. J. P. Stapp, U.S. Army; Technical Development and Evaluation Center, U.K. Civil Aviation Authority and Harvey Hansberry; United Airlines |
| 1953 | M.G. Beard and Committee S-7 of the Society of Automotive Engineers; Dr. Ross A. McFarland; National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and I. Irving Pinkel |
| 1952 | Capt. P.Q. Cooquyt; Directorate of Flight Safety Research, U.S. Air Force; John E. Lindberg Jr., Pan American World Airways; Republic Aviation Corp. and William I. Stieglitz; Sperry Gyroscope Co. |
| 1951 | E. S. Calvert, U.K. Royal Aircraft Establishment.; Capt. E. A. Cuttrell, American Airlines; Capt. John Gill, Eastern Air Lines; Dr. Ross Gunn |
| 1950 | Capt. Robert Baker and crew, American Airlines; Capt. Ian R. Harvey and crew, British Overseas Airways Corp.; Pennsylvania Aeronautics Commission |
| 1949 | American Airlines and United Airlines; Leonard M. Greene; Hugh De Haven |