Vertical Association International (VAI) presented its annual Salute to Excellence awards at Verticon 2025 to recognize extraordinary achievements, skills, and commitment to the helicopter industry. 

“We proudly recognize the exceptional talents and steadfast commitment of this year’s Salute to Excellence awardees,” said VAI president and CEO James Viola. “Their dedication to advancing safety, innovation, and professionalism within vertical aviation not only reflects the highest standards of our industry but also continuously pushes the boundaries of what is possible, ensuring a safer and more successful future for all of us in this community.”

The 2025 Harold Summers Legacy Award went to Allan Overbey, project manager at Global Engineering & Management Services (GEMS), for his role in implementing ADS-B for helicopter operations over the Gulf of Mexico and subsequently the U.S. National Airspace System.

The Matthew S. Zuccaro Land & Live Award, which recognizes “superior decision-making, professionalism, and coordinated actions that significantly reduced the likelihood, severity, or consequences of a helicopter accident,” went to Elijah Hobbs, chief pilot for Jack Harter Helicopters in Lihue, Hawaii. Hobbs is being recognized for his swift actions after an engine failure during a coastal tour flight, with all four passengers surviving the landing. 

Sponsored by HeliValue$, the Salute to Excellence Communications Award went to aviation journalist Paul Kennard “for creative distinction in disseminating information about the vertical aviation industry.” Kennard was a CH-47 pilot for the British Royal Air Force before becoming a journalist. He now works as the European editor for Antares Magazine in England.

The 2025 W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award sponsored by Hill Air Corporation was given to Ken Obi, owner and founder of Orbic Helicopters in California. Obi has been training helicopter pilots for more than 30 years and is being recognized for his “high standards of excellence in flight instruction.” 

In Brazil, the Air Tactical Group of Pernambuco State’s public security department received the 2025 Salute to Excellence Law Enforcement Award for their rescue operations during a 2022 flood in Pernambuco. The department airlifted critical patients, conducted numerous rooftop rescues, and delivered supplies to isolated communities. 

The Golden Hour Award, which recognizes outstanding service in air medical operations, was awarded to Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service in Australia. “Not only has Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service conducted thousands of golden-hour missions, where providing trauma victims with rapid access to medical treatment has been shown to improve outcomes, but the organization has been instrumental in expanding the delivery of critical care to communities in Australia’s New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory,” VAI said in a statement. 

For their response to Cyclone Gabrielle, which hit New Zealand’s North Island in February 2023, three recipients shared the Salute to Excellence Humanitarian Service Award this year: Rotorforce New Zealand, Helicopters Hawkes Bay, and Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 3 squadron. 

This year’s Salute to Excellence Safety Award, sponsored by BLR Aerospace, went to LifeFlight of Maine. The nonprofit charitable organization helped to establish the state’s air medical infrastructure, including hospital and community helipads, emergency landing areas, and advanced weather-monitoring systems. 

To recognize excellence in helicopter maintenance, the Rolls-Royce-sponsored Salute to Excellence Maintenance Award was given to George Quackenbush, an experienced maintenance technician and safety advisor based in Santiago, Chile. Quackenbush started his career as an auto mechanic and subsequently joined the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, after which he became a member of the prestigious Viking Armed Helicopter Platoon of the 121st Assault Helicopter Company.

Last but not least, the 2025 Salute to Excellence Pilot of the Year Award was posthumously granted to Mike Roederer, who retired from his role as chief pilot at Air2 in Pembroke, New Hampshire, in 2022. “Roederer, who began flying helicopters in 1983, consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of his crew and anyone involved on the job, embodying integrity and leadership until his retirement in 2022,” VAI said.

“It wasn’t just his pilots who needed him from time to time,” recalled his wife, Diana Roderer. “Sometimes a lineman would have a concern and their superiors didn’t agree. The lineman would tell the pilot, who would call Mike, and Mike would shut down the operation until the safety concern was resolved. He saw everyone on a job as part of his team and their safety as his responsibility. That was the kind of person he was.”