John Williams will receive the HAI Salute to Excellence W.A. “Dub” Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award. Williams previously received a letter of recommendation for this award from its namesake. The award, which is sponsored by H. Ross Perot, Jr. and the Perot family, will be presented at the Salute to Excellence Awards dinner during Heli-Expo in Las Vegas.

Williams, of Fort Worth, Texas, had a career as a certified flight instructor (CFI) with Bell Helicopter that spanned more than 35 years. He joined the helicopter manufacturer as a production test pilot after completing military service that ended in the 1970s. Before becoming a CFI at the Bell Flight Academy, he worked in the experimental flight test department.

Once at the academy he trained pilots in 19 different countries and was known for stressing safety in the helicopter and on the ground. He went on to become a pilot training safety manager for Bell and served as a Part 141 night-vision-goggle instructor. Williams logged more than 4,000 of his 12,500 flight hours during flight training.

Outside of the training department, Williams participated as a U.S. precision helicopter team pilot for Bell Crew during the World Helicopter Championships in the former U.S.S.R. in 1978. He returned to the competition in Poland in 1981, where the team won the gold medal for the first time.

Currently, Williams holds five international helicopter speed records, including the westbound around-the-world record with Ron Bower. He also serves as a lifetime member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and was president of the Helicopter Club of America.