On behalf of the SETP Board of Directors, congratulations to CW3 Dan C. Riggs, USA (M) on receiving the 2025 James H. McClellan Aviation Safety Award by the Army Aviation Association of America.
In April 2026, CW3 Dan C. Riggs, USA (M) was awarded the 2025 James H. McClellan Aviation Safety Award by the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) at their annual summit in Nashville, TN. CW3 Riggs is a U.S. Army test pilot serving in the Aviation Flight Test Directorate (AFTD), Redstone Test Center, Redstone Arsenal, AL.
He was recognized by AAAA for “contributions to Army Aviation safety during the AH-64E Unanticipated Yaw Test Program. Following five AH-64E Class A mishaps, the Department of the Army directed AFTD to conduct flight testing examining critical areas of directional control. As the primary XP on the project, CW3 Riggs helped plan, lead, and execute flight tests to recreate the mishap conditions, examining critical areas of directional control, assessing factors affecting directional control, and validating recovery techniques. Following test completion, CW3 Riggs authored a comprehensive 68-page white paper detailing aerodynamic mechanisms, flight control laws, contributing factors, and recovery techniques for unanticipated yaw. In addition to publishing the white paper, he coordinated over 12 trips and personally delivered 13 of the 20 briefs to U.S. Army, United Kingdom, and Republic of Korea Aviation units, reaching more than 650 AH-64 pilots, discussing the findings and recommended training interventions” (Army Aviation magazine, April/May 2026).
CW3 Riggs and MAJ Aric Jensen presented - Developing an Unconventional Flight Test Program: Lessons Learned from the AH-64E High Yaw Rate Arrestment at the 2026 Southeast Section Symposium in Huntsville, AL, and was awarded the Emerald Coast Award for the best technical presentation.
AAAA Award background: “Sponsored by GE Aviation in memory of James H. McClellan, a former Army aviator who was killed in a civil aviation accident in 1958, this award is presented annually "to an individual who has made an outstanding individual contribution to Army Aviation safety in the previous calendar year." The award is NOT intended to be given for the accumulation of operational hours without accidents by any aviation unit” (AAAA website).