Bernald Smith of Fremont, California has served with distinction on the Soaring Society Board of Directors for over 30 consecutive years.During this time he has held a wide variety of offcial posts. He first joined the SSA Board in 1963 and quickly rose to the presidency of the organisation for the years 1969 and 1970. It was during this second year as President that Smith came to the international soaring scene. Under his leadership, the SSA hosted the successful 1970 World Soaring Championships in Marfa, Texas. In addition to his responsibilities as President of the Soaring Society, Smith also served as a Steward for the Championships. After his terms as president, Smith assumed various roles within the Soaring Society including Chairman of the Publications Board for 12 years. This important post is responsible for oversight of SSA's most visible product, SOARING Magazine. Smith also served as Chairman of the SSA Insurance Committee and as co-Chairman of two SSA National Conventions. He is presently assuming an active role in the planning for the 1995 SSA Convention set for Reno, Nevada. Smith's current activities on the international scene have brought him acclaim from beyond the soaring community. Due to his active leadership in the development of GPS (Global Positioning System) applications for sport aviation, Smith was asked to make presentations to both the International Hang Gliding Commission and the CASI of the FAI. Smith is the official Soaring Society representative to the RTCA, the body responsible for development of technical standards for avionics and support equipment. After his service on behalf on the 1970 Championships, Smith began to serve the SSA as alternate delegate to the IGC standing behind the long and able service of Bill Ivans as US delegate. When Smith assumed the duties as full delegate to IGC, he was quickly elected to the IGC Bureau as a Vice-President of the body. He served the 1983 World Soaring Championships as Deputy Director of the Championships for the successful event held on short notice in Hobbs, New Mexico. In 1991 he rose to the post of Director of the Champinships for the 22nd World Soaring Chammpionships held in Uvalde, Texas. Smith presently serves as a member of the OSTIV Board and as US Delegate to OSTIV. He was instrumental in negotiating the agreement for publication of all OSTIV papers in Technical Soaring. In partial recognition of his entirely volunteer work, Smith has five times received SSA's Exceptional Service Award. His repetitive receipt of the Soaring Society's second highest award is highly unusual and is strong testimony to the high regard in which he is held by his peers. in 1977, Smith received the SSA's highest award for volunteer work, the Warren E. Eaton Memorial Trophy. In 1984 he was elected to the United States Soaring Hall of Fame in Elmira, New York. Bernald S. Smith has served tirelessly and without compensation on behalf of soaring and sport aviation for over three decades. He well deserves the Lilienthal Trophy on behalf of Soaring Society members worldwide and on behalf of the international sport aviation community in recognition of a lifetime of singular and unselfish commitment to soaring. Smith's service is an inspiration to all who know him.
<p>In recognition for his lifetime contribution to the sport of gliding and his long national and international service work during several European and World Championships among other things as steward and chief steward. His dedication and professionalism in the world of gliding and national/international airsports (Royal Belgian Aero Club, IGC and EGU) has been very valuable.</p>
Bob Henderson started gliding in 1975. It was only a few years later that Bob started serving the interests of his fellow glider pilots, initially at national level in many different roles including that of Chairman of the Technical Committee, Executive Officer and President of Gliding New Zealand. He was Operations Director of the 1995 World Championships in Omarama, and was a member of the International Jury for the World Championships that followed in France, Germany and South Africa. In 2002, Bob became New Zealand’s delegate to the IGC. In subsequent years, Bob’s dedication to gliding at international level steadily increased, with various appointments such as Senior Steward, Jury President (Germany) and International GP Referee (France, UK, New Zealand and Italy), Chairman of the IGC Gliding Rules Committee, 1st Vice President then President (8 years) of the FAI Gliding Commission. In 2012, Bob was appointed as an Executive Board member of the FAI, with the additional responsibility as head of FAI Air Sports Marketing & Events (FAME). Besides his outstanding dedication to gliding at national and international levels, Bob Henderson provided exemplary service to his country with the Royal New Zealand Air Force for 16 years before joining Air New Zealand as an airline pilot. For his outstanding leadership as the RNZAF Detachment Commander in the Gulf War, Bob was awarded the Air Force Cross. In 2012, Bob was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sporting aviation. Bob’s dedication to the cause of sport aviation at the highest level.
