The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award was established in memory of Laura Taber Barbour, who tragically lost her life in a plane crash on 14 April 1945, while aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 that crashed into Cheat Mountain in West Virginia during an electrical storm. In her honor, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour, and their son, Cliff, collaborated with Flight Safety Foundation‘s Jerome Lederer and Gloria Heath in 1956 to create this prestigious award.
Presented every year, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes exceptional contributions to aviation safety, whether in civil or military aviation. The award honors individuals or groups who have made significant advancements in aviation safety through innovative methods, design improvements, inventions, studies, or other efforts. Special consideration is given to those whose contributions have gone unrecognized, with an emphasis on those working outside of top administrative or research roles, such as mechanics and engineers. This award celebrates efforts that go above and beyond normal responsibilities, making a lasting impact on the safety of aviation.
The 2024 Recipient of the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award has been awarded to Susan E. Northrup, MD., MPH. She was recognized for her distinguished and significant contributions in her role as Federal Air Surgeon, overseeing groundbreaking initiatives which significantly impacted pilot health and safety.
As Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Northrup created educational outreach programmes that were designed to foster open communication with aviators while prioritizing the management of chronic disease and mental health issues. Her proactive approach has contributed toward keeping healthy pilots in the air, ensuring both their well-being and continued aviation industry safety. Dr. Northrup has worked tirelessly on behalf of pilots diagnosed with mental illness to destigmatize the diagnoses, facilitate early access to treatment and return them to the cockpit as soon as it is safe to do so.
Dr. Northrup’s accomplishments and expertise extend well beyond her role as Federal Air Surgeon. Her board certifications in aerospace medicine and occupational medicine have enabled her to conduct research and author publications on critical issues, notably the impact of sleep aids on pilots, cabin air quality, and bioterrorism, thereby shaping industry standards and global aviation safety. She made significant contributions to international civil aviation safety through her participation in the ICAO’s Aviation Recovery Task Force, where she played a crucial role in developing practical guidance for governments and industry operators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership in developing the ICAO COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Manual proved vital in educating the international aviation community and establishing effective risk mitigation strategies for the safe resumption of international civil aviation operations.
Dr. Johanna Jordaan, Chief of ICAO’s Aviation Medicine Section, praised her work, “Dr. Northrup’s dedication and scientific expertise as the Chair of the ICAO Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation Programme (CAPSCA) COVID-19 working group contributed significantly to the work of the ICAO Aviation Medicine Section during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equally important, with her personal commitment and can-do attitude, she continues to make significant contributions in CAPSCA and the ICAO Medical Provisions Study Group, advancing the importance of Aviation Medicine in a positive way.”
The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is pleased to recognize Dr. Susan Northrup for her significant contributions to the improvement of aviation safety in the field of aerospace medicine. Dr Northrup will be presented with this award during the 77th Annual International Aviation Safety Summit that is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November.
