Col. Joseph W. Kittinger Jr., was today (April 3) honored by the Smithsonian with the National Air and Space Museum Trophy for 2008. Kittinger was awarded this year's Lifetime Achievement Trophy. (Two trophies are awarded annually, one for curent achivement and one for lifetime.) Kittinger is arguably the most important balloonist active since 1945. While participating in U.S. Air Force high-altitude balloon research programs in the 1960s, he parachuted from 102,800 feet. This world record for the highest parachute jump and longest free fall still stands today. He was also first to cross the Atlantic solo by balloon.

Troy Bradley and Richard Jaworski have been awarded ballooning's highest prize, the Montgolfier Diploma, for outstanding performance in a Rozier and Hot Air Balloon respectively in 2007. The announcement of the awards was made at the conclusion of the annual meeting of the FAI's International Ballooning Commission that concluded March 8th in Austria.

The “Spirit of Annie” is an award established by the Northeast Ohio Balloon Pilots Association (NOBPA) in memory of a very special Observer, Annie Pryne. It is awarded through a selection process approved by the Board of Directors of NOBPA. The award is designed to acknowledge an individual who personifies the love of ballooning and ballooning people, with dedication to competition and the hard work associated to improving the sport as Annie did.