Aeronautical Medal - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Médaille de l'Aéronautique) Award

Aeronautical Medal
Aeronautical Medal (Obverse)
Type	Order of Merit
Awarded for	Accomplishments in aeronautics
Presented by	France
Established	14 February 1945; 79 years ago (1945-02-14)

Ribbon of the Aeronautical Medal

Precedence
Next (higher)	Cross of the resistance volunteer combatant
Next (lower)	Combatant's Cross

The Aeronautical Medal (French: "Médaille de l'Aéronautique") is a state decoration of France established by the decree of February 14, 1945. It is awarded to both military personnel and civilians for outstanding accomplishments related to the field of aeronautics. Originally envisioned before the Second World War, it was intended as an equal to the Order of Maritime Merit. The intent was to create an aerial order of merit intended for civilian and military personnel working in aeronautics. The war temporarily put an end to the project until February 1945.

Statute

Recipients are chosen by a council presided by a member of the office of the secretary of state for the armed forces (air) that will be composed of:

the chief of staff of the air force,
the director of the aeronautical administration control department,
the technical and industry director to the secretary of state for the armed forces (air),
a member named by decree of the minister for public works, transport and tourism, representing the ministry,
a representative of the aerial navigation companies named for two years by decree of the minister for public works, transport and tourism,
a personality with a history of exceptional services in aeronautics named for two years by decree of the secretary of state for the armed forces (air).

In case of the absence of any member of the council, an interim member is named by decree of the related authority. This same council has the authority to propose the revocation of the decoration for serious breaches of honour. The details of the workings of such a proposal would be made by ministerial decree.

The Aeronautical Medal is limited to no more than 275 new recipients per year, it is awarded twice annually on 1 January and 14 July. It is awarded for professional valour to both civilians and military pilots and non pilots serving under the Ministry of Defence (Air) or the Department of Transportation. It is awarded to citizens who have distinguished themselves in the development of military or civil aviation, sports aviation, airports and aircraft manufacturing plants. It can be awarded for prowess in the air, an act of heroism in the air, or for particularly unusual work or research in aviation. Finally, the medal can be awarded for exceptional service during serious air related accidents.

The medal can be awarded posthumously and to foreign nationals.

Award description

The medal is rectangular and made of gilt metal. The obverse bears the gilt left profile of Marianne from the 1940s, representing France. Below Marianne is the gilt inscription "Honneur et Patrie" (Honour and Country). The medal is enameled in red except for Marianne, the inscription and a 2 mm exterior border. The medal is suspended to a 37 mm wide royal blue silk moiré ribbon by a wing-shaped pendant with a relief of a five pointed star at its center and a horizontal slot to receive the ribbon. The reverse bears the inscription on four lines "MÉDAILLE DE L'AÉRONAUTIQUE 1945" (AERONAUTICAL MEDAL 1945).

Notable recipients (partial list)

French citizens

Foreign nationals

James Stephen "Steve" Fossett (USA)
Pioneer female pilot Hélène Dutrieu (Belgium)
Canadian Helicopter CEO Craig Lawrence Dobbin (Canada)
USAF Major general Albert Boyd (USA)
Sergeant Margaret Alfreda Wynne (UK) WAAF translator for the Free French

References

^ Battini, Jean; Zaniewicki, Witold (2003). Guide pratique des décorations françaises actuelles. Paris: LAVAUZELLE. pp. 99–102. ISBN 2-7025-1030-2.

External links

Orders, decorations, and medals of France

Orders

National	Order of the Legion of Honour Order of Liberation Order of Merit
Ministerial	Order of Academic Palms Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit Order of Arts and Letters
Territorial	Order of Tahiti Nui

Decorations and medals

Civilian

Military

Commemorative medals

1852 – 1871: Second Empire	Saint Helena Medal Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign Commemorative medal of the 1860 China Expedition Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition
1871–1914: Belle Époque	Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal (1885) Dahomey Expedition commemorative medal (1892) Madagascar Expeditions commemorative medal Colonial Medal China Expedition commemorative medal (1901) Morocco commemorative medal (1909)
1914–1918: World War I	1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal Dardanelles campaign medal Orient campaign medal Commemorative medal of the 1914–1918 War Medal of French Gratitude Medal for Victims of the Invasion Medal for civilian prisoners, deportees and hostages of the 1914-1918 Great War
1918–1939: Interwar	Syria-Cilicia commemorative medal
1939–1945: World War II	Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France Italian Campaign medal Medal for deportation and internment for acts of resistance Political deportation and internment medal Commemorative medal of the 1939–1945 War Medal of a liberated France Recusant's insignia
1945–1964: Decolonisation	United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal Middle East operations commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal
Since 1964	Medal of the Nation's Gratitude North Africa medal United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon medal French commemorative medal Medal for the Military Protection of the Territory

Defunct orders

Royal & Imperial	Order of Saint Michael Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint Louis Order of Military Merit Order of the Iron Crown Order of the Three-Golden Fleeces Order of the Reunion Decoration of The Lily Decoration of the Bordeaux Armband Decoration of the Fidelity Medal of the wounded Order of the Cross of July
Ministerial	Order of Merit for Veterans Order of Military Merit Order of Civil Merit Order of Social Merit Order of Labour Merit Order of Touristic Merit Order of the National Economy Order of Commercial and Industrial Merit Order of Artisan Merit Order of Public Health Order of Postal Merit Order of Sport Merit
Colonial	Order of Indochinese Merit Order of Saharan Merit Order of the Black Star Order of the Star of Anjouan Order of Nichan el Anouar Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam Royal Order of Cambodia Order of Merit of Madagascar and dependencies Order of Merit of Cameroon

France portal

Categories: