The Balchen/Post Award

At the 51st Annual International Aviation Snow Symposium on April 24th, 2017 in Buffalo, NY; awards were presented to the “Snow Crews” of the airports in the Snow Belt for their dedicated efforts in maintaining their airports in safe and operational status during the 2016 – 2017 winter season. This is the 41st consecutive year that such awards have been presented. All categories of airports – Commercial, General Aviation and Military – compete for these awards.  NEC/AAAE President James G. Walsh, A.A.E., remarked “The Northeast Chapter is grateful for all of the submissions this year.  I want to congratulate those airport operators and military airfields who earned the prestigious Balchen/Post Award.”

Applications are submitted by the airport operators on behalf of the local work force in recognition of their efforts in keeping the airports operationally safe at all times. Recommendations for selection may come from the users of airports, airlines, pilots, general aviation, the military and the entire aviation community. In addition, the members of the Awards Selection Committee provide feedback from their own organizations as to the performance of competing airports.

The 2016 – 2017 awards were presented to the following airports:

Large Commercial (Over 200,000 operations per year)
Winner:

• Salt Lake City International Airport – Salt Lake City, Utah 

Honorable Mention:

• Chicago O’Hare International Airport – Chicago, Illinois
• Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport – Saint Paul, Minnesota 

        
Medium Commercial (100,000 to 200,000 operations per year)
Winner:

• Buffalo Niagara International Airport – Buffalo, New York

Honorable Mention:

• Fairbanks International Airport – Fairbanks, Alaska 

Small Commercial (Less than 100,000 operations per year)
Winner:

• Aspen/Pitkin County Airport – Aspen, Colorado

Honorable Mention:

•   Worcester Regional Airport – Worcester, Massachusetts
• Syracuse Hancock International Airport – Syracuse, New York

Large General Aviation (Over 50,000 operations per year)
Winner:

• Laurence G. Hanscom Field Airport – Bedford, Massachusetts

Honorable Mention:

• Teterboro Airport – Teterboro, New Jersey

Small General Aviation (Less than 50,000 operations per year)
Winner:

• Griffiss International Airport – Rome, New York

Honorable Mention:

• Columbus Municipal Airport – Columbus, Indiana

Military Airport
Winner:

• 92 Civil Engineer Squadron (CES), Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB), Washington 
  Air Mobility Command (AMC)

Honorable Mention: 

• 341 CES, Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC)