Orlando, FL, October 18, 2009 — The Flight Safety Foundation announced today that its annual Honeywell Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety has been awarded to five members of the Strategic Projects Team in the Air Operations Division of FedEx Express. The team members are Joel Murdock, Bruce Popp, Jeff Peltz, Mark Petzinger and Art Benjamin. The award was presented today at Honeywell’s media dinner and briefing at the annual National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting and Convention.
The team developed a fire suppression system for FedEx’s DC-10 and MD-11 freighters, and it will eventually be installed on all new production aircraft for FedEx prior to entering service. In-flight fire is an especially significant risk on cargo planes as so much of the cargo compartment is inaccessible. The system uses infrared heat detection and heat modeling to pinpoint a fire, which the system attacks with a fire extinguishing agent.
“This is a game-changer,” commented William R. Voss, FSF president and chief executive officer, as he presented the award. “This system required thousands of hours of testing and development, but it was worth it. FedEx pilots now have an enhanced level of protection from cargo fires that could occur.”
Honeywell teams up with the Flight Safety Foundation to present the Bendix Trophy each year. The trophy was re-established in 1998 by AlliedSignal, which later merged with Honeywell, to recognize contributions to aerospace safety by individuals and institutions through innovation in advanced safety equipment and equipment utilization.
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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org