For Immediate Release
Frederick, MD February 26, 2025 - The General Aviation Awards board of directors announced today the 2025 National Honorees. Awards for National Flight Instructor, Aviation Technician, and FAASTeam Rep of the year will be presented by the FAA at AirVenture.
Since 1962, the General Aviation Awards (GAA) program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized aviation professionals for their contributions to general aviation in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance/avionics, and safety. These awards highlight the vital leadership roles these individuals play in promoting safety, education, and professionalism throughout the aviation industry.
Recipients of the 2025 National General Aviation Awards are:
Adam Boyd, Cabot, AR – 2025 Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year
Samuel “Beau” Hardison, Mountain View, AR – 2025 Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year
Josselyn Slagle, New Castle, PA – 2025 FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year.
The FAA will present individual awards to each National Honoree in July during EAA AirVenture 2025 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and their names will be added to the large perpetual plaque found in the lobby of the EAA AirVenture Museum. In addition to being recognized at AirVenture and highlighted in the aviation media, National Honorees also receive gifts generously provided by sponsors and contributors.
“It is an honor to announce the names of the 2024 General Aviation Awards National Honorees” says GA Awards Board Chair Lauretta Webb, “These important, historic awards highlight the critical role played by accomplished individuals in building a culture solidly based on aviation safety and education,” she added, “The Board and our many sponsors are pleased that these outstanding aviation professionals will receive public recognition before their peers at AirVenture.”
On April 30, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET, GAA Live! airs. This program will feature all three of these incredible aviators sharing their knowledge in an hour-long, live broadcast. More details will come as available.
2025 National Certificated Flight Instructor of the Year
Adam Boyd of Cabot, Arkansas, is an active presenter for the Little Rock FAA Safety Team, and provides a continuous presence in the general aviation community for Central Arkansas as a CFI and DPE. An FAA Gold Seal Flight Instructor and two-time Master CFI, Adam has over 5,600 hours of flight time, with over 1,600 hours as a Flight Instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner. He is currently a C-130H Instructor and Evaluator Pilot in the 189th Airlift Wing’s C-130H Formal Training Unit at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.
Adam’s Aviation experience spans 25 years of flying everything from a J-3 to a C-130J. He began taking lessons in 1999 and has sought opportunities and adventure ever since. Over the past 19 years he has served as both a Navigator and a Pilot for the USAF, logging over 3,000 hours in the C-130E, C-130H, and C-130J with over 600 hours of combat time. He is a Lieutenant Colonel and has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Medal for service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
Adam’s FAA Certifications include Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (AMEL); Type Ratings: L382, L382J, and DA20 (SIC); Commercial Privileges (ASEL, ASES); Flight Instructor Certificate (ASE, AME, IA); Ground Instructor, (Advanced, Instrument); Aircraft Dispatcher; Remote Pilot. Adam Holds a Master’s Degree in Geoscience from Mississippi State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Earth Science and Geography from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC. He is also a graduate of the USAF Air War College, a USAF Flight Safety Officer, and a graduate of the USAF Advanced Instrument School.
Adam earned his FAA Flight Instructor Certificate in 2016 and quickly put his new certificate to work at the Yokota Flight Training Center, a military aeroclub on Yokota AB, Japan. He was able to translate his real-world experience in military and civilian flying to meaningful instruction for young airmen earning their private pilot certificate and instrument ratings. Upon his return to the US in 2017 he continued civilian instruction at a local FBO. Finding a market for his professional flight experience and his knowledge of aircraft ownership, Adam founded Wildwood Aerospace LLC in 2019, where he tailors his instruction to instrument and instrument instructor ratings, rotorcraft to fixed-wing, military to civilian transition training, and aircraft ownership. In 2022, he was designated as a Pilot Examiner and now offers pilot examination services for Central Arkansas.
Adam has been involved in volunteer work throughout his flying career as well. He served with the Civil Air Patrol for over 20 years and even commanded an Overseas Cadet Squadron in Tokyo Japan. Along with serving as a Mission Check Pilot and Cadet Orientation Pilot, Adam is recipient of the Gill Robb Wilson Award and the Meritorious Service Award from Civil Air Patrol. He enjoys working with young people and helping them find a place in aviation. Adam also enjoys helping medical patients receive the care they need by providing flights over the years through Angel Flight Soars and Angel Flight South Central.
Additionally, Adam is an active member of the Little Rock FAA Safety Team where he has led many presentations and CFI/DPE forums to bolster aviation safety across Central Arkansas.
Adam grew up in Goldston, North Carolina, on his parent’s farm. His love of aviation came from the C-130s, HH-60s, and AH-64s that would fly over his house from Pope AFB and Fort Bragg in the 80’s and early 90’s. He took his first flight as an EAA Young Eagle in a Cessna 180 from the Siler City Municipal Airport in Siler City, NC. He would later get his start in aviation refueling and washing aircraft at the Sanford Lee-County Airport (W77 and later KTTA).
Today, Adam enjoys flying his Vans RV-4 and teaching his son how to fly. He is busy outside of aviation as well and serves on the Board of Stewards for his church, The Vine at Cabot. He enjoys hiking, bee keeping, duck hunting, Braves baseball, and spending time with Anna, his wife of 19 years, and their two children Walker (15) and Olivia (11).
2025 National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year
Samuel “Beau” Hardison of Mountain View, Arkansas, is the President of Aircraft Structural Inspections LLC an FAA Repair Station in Mountain View, Arkansas. He is Accountable Manager /Inspector responsible for the operation of an FAA repair station certificated for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), altimeter system tests & inspections required by § 91.411 and ATC transponder tests required by § 91. 413. The repair station offers inspections using Magnetic Particle, Penetrant, Eddy Current, Ultra Sonic, and X-Ray, as well as Dynamic Balancing. The company offers level 2 and level 3 services and inspection services to other repair stations, maintenance facilities, and operators. ASI inspects aircraft and components from GA aircraft, business jets, 135 charter operators, 121 airline operators, EMS, and the US military. Mr. Hardison has inspected a wide variety of aircraft and has traveled all over the USA and around the world.
Mr. Hardison has a background in aviation extending back to his teenage years in the 1970’s working as a lineman for his father’s FBO and flight school where he fell in love with aviation. He and his father salvaged and restored a 1974 Cessna 150 commuter in the 1980’s. He is a private pilot and has been actively flying since 1994 with a current SEL, complex high-performance rating with tail wheel endorsement. He earned his Private Pilot certificate April 15, 2003, in that same Cessna 150. He has his FAA repairman certificate and is certificated to perform and supervise NDT in Magnetic Particle, Penetrant, Eddy Current, Ultra Sonic, and X-Ray as well as avionics for radio instruments for the 91.411 & 413 of transponders. As an NDT Level 3 he has consulted numerous companies and currently oversees 16 company NDT programs for certification and qualification of NDT programs and personnel.
It was through this experience that he developed the NDT work log, a phone app available for Apple and Android phones, for capturing technicians’ work experience for certification purposes. This led him to developing Quality Training, an online training platform, so people and companies can train on their schedule, originally for NDT Methods but now also for avionics and instruments. QT offers over 33 courses, all of which are FAA approved and ICAET accredited, allowing students completing the courses to earn continuing education credits. He is obtaining higher education accreditation so that these same course credits can be applied to a college degree program. As the Founder and Director of Training he personally develops and oversees course content, syllabus development, and course production.
He is a member of AOPA, ASNT American Society of Non-destructive Testing, and is a participating member of ASTM American Society Testing Material, serving as a voting member on the E07.07 Non-Destructive Testing Committee, the leading organization that writes and reviews global standards. He is also an FAA Safety Team Lead Representative and has received the Arkansas Outstanding Representative of the year award. He has a passion for aviation, education, and the promotion of both. He speaks regularly at IA renewal meetings in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, as well as at agricultural aviation conferences and is involved with A&P schools and high school STEM programs promoting the aviation industry regionally and nationally.
2025 National FAA Safety Representative of the Year
Josselyn Slagle of New Castle, PA. At the age of six, Josselyn Slagle told her mother she one day wanted to climb cell phone towers to grab clouds. After high school graduation, Joss thought she would pursue air traffic control, but after taking a discovery flight at 17 years old she was hooked on flying. She is a first-generation aviator with a passion for sharing her love of flying with others.
She has been an FAA Safety Team Representative since 2023. She acts as a WINGS Pro and Drone Pro. She has a master’s degree in aviation safety and a bachelor’s degree in aviation management, both from Florida Institute of Technology, and four other degrees from the Community College of Beaver County. After graduating with her Master’s Degree, she applied to be an FAA safety team representative as a way to utilize her degree and interest in aviation safety. Joss is always eager to educate and be educated. She spends rainy days taking FAA Safety courses so that she might recommend courses to her students and keep her own skills sharp.
Joss is employed as chief flight instructor for Haski Aviation at New Castle Airport and is a Lead Deicer for Integrated Deicing Services at Pittsburgh International Airport. She holds CFI/CFII, AGI, and IGI, commercial pilot’s license with instrument rating, single engine land, single engine sea, multi engine land. and complex, high performance and tail wheel endorsements. She has been flying for 9 years. She teaches drone pilot ground school courses and foreflight workshops, in addition to the standard flight instructor curriculum.
She is the President of EAA Chapter 857 in Butler, Pennsylvania and has held the position for three years. Before becoming President, she was Secretary for two years. She is also an active member of EAA Chapter 161 in New Castle, Pennsylvania. She helps to foster FAA
safety seminars for both EAA chapters and local organizations. She provides Young Eagles flights as a pilot or ground support volunteer. She likes to bring her flight students with her to Young Eagle’s rallies.
Joss acted as event director for Airplanes and Automobiles (fly-in/drive-in) event at New Castle Airport this past summer. The event featured Martin Haski, Owner of Haski Aviation, receiving the FAA’s Wright Brother’s Master Pilot Award, and an FAA Safety Seminar. This was the first fly-in held in eight years at the airport. Over 1,000 people attended, making it a great success. She plans to put on the event again next August.
Joss is a member of Women in Aviation International. She attends conferences and actively supports other female aviators. Joss is also a member of the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI). She encourages involvement with this organization and promotes excellence in flight instruction. In her limited free time, Joss enjoys reading books, exploring new places, and volunteering.
For information about GAA, or to donate, visit www.generalaviationawards.com, email, board@generalaviationawards.com, or call or text Lauretta Webb at 240-457-7308.
About the General Aviation Awards Program
Since 1962, the General Aviation Awards Program has recognized a small group of aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, and flight safety for their important contributions to the aviation community. This program is a partnership and cooperative effort between the FAA and more than a dozen sponsoring organizations from the aviation industry. The awards highlight the important roles these individuals play in promoting aviation safety, education, and professionalism. Winners are recognized locally, and nationally. National winners are recognized each July during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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