AOPA Media, Air Safety Institute win association publishing awards

The EXCEL Awards recognize excellence and leadership in association media, publishing, marketing, and communications. The AOPA Media department has been a frequent recipient of recognition, and this year Association Media and Publishing also lauded the work of the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

The AOPA Media department had three finalists for the EXCEL awards. Hangar Talk, a podcast created by AOPA Senior Content Producer Ian J. Twombly and co-hosted by AOPA Associate Editor Web/ePilot David Tulis, was awarded a Gold in the Podcast category, appropriately winning the award just as the podcast recorded its 100th episode. AOPA was awarded a Gold for Feature Article Design for the “Eating Local” design in the July 2019 issue of Flight Training magazine by AOPA Digital Asset Manager and Graphic Designer Leigh Caulfield, and was recognized with a Bronze award in the Video category for the Flying the American Dream video covering the P–40 Warhawk by AOPA Senior Photographer Mike Fizer.

Three bronze medals were awarded to the AOPA Air Safety Institute. Recognized as outstanding video courses are the Weather or Not Thunderstorm Challenge, the institute’s Electronic Flight Instructor Refresher Course (eFIRC), and the Real Pilot Story: Powerless Over Paris video.

The fortieth annual 2020 EXCEL awards had more than 800 entries; only 271 were winners. Of those 271 awards, 71 received Gold, 103 Silver, and 97 Bronze. The award ceremony honoring the innovative and creative teams in association publishing was held virtually in mid-July.