The FSF Heroism Award was established by the Foundation in 1968 to recognize civil aircraft crewmembers or ground personnel whose heroic actions exceeded the requirements of their jobs and, as a result, saved lives or property. Selection of award recipients is determined by the degree of personal risk involved in the heroic act; the nature of the courage, perseverance and other personal characteristics that were displayed; and the degree to which the heroism was outside normal levels of duty and ability.
The award is presented only in years in which a nominee clearly meets the award’s standard for heroism.
In 1978, Wilkinson Sword Ltd. was commissioned to craft a permanent symbol of the award — The Graviner Sword, a 4.2-foot (1.3-meter) Scottish highland clan broadsword, modeled after a 15th-century two-handed battle sword. The award includes a miniature replica of The Graviner Sword.
This award was discontinued in 2011.
| Recipients of the FSF Heroism Award | |
| 2010 | No award |
| 2009 | No award |
| 2008 | No award |
| 2007 | No award |
| 2006 | No award |
| 2005 | No award |
| 2004 | No award |
| 2003 | No award |
| 2002 | No award |
| 2001 | Capt. Sean Loutitt, First Officer Mark Carey and Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Norman Wong, Kenn Borek Air |
| 2000 | No award |
| 1999 | Jim Corey, Silver Bay Logging |
| 1998 | Barry Walze, Continental Airlines |
| 1997 | Innokeniy Pavlovitch Tzivilev |
| 1996 | No award |
| 1995 | No award |
| 1994 | Richard DeMary, USAir |
| 1993 | No award |
| 1992 | No award |
| 1991 | No award |
| 1990 | Anatoly Grischenko (posthumously), U.S.S.R. civil helicopter pilot |
| 1989 | No award |
| 1988 | Arthur Bradbury, Sharon Ford (posthumously), Joanna Toff and Jacqueline Urbanski (posthumously), British Airways |
| 1987 | Neerja Bhanot (posthumously), Pan American World Airways |
| 1986 | Richard F. Jeppesen, Jeppesen Development |
| 1985 | Miss Naila Nazir, Pakistan International Airlines |
| 1984 | Larry Schmidt and Cliff Wilson, ERA Helicopters |
| 1983 | Richard E. Smart, Spellabarger Flying Services; Nelson Walker Sr., Walker Air Services |
| 1982 | Thomas N. Prinster and Lyle Hogg, Pilgrim Airlines |
| 1981 | Barbara Sorensen, Continental Airlines |
| 1980 | Wang Wen-hua, China Airlines |
| 1979 | Capt. Bain, Capt. Bosanquet, Capt. Campbell and Brian Johnstone, British Airway Helicopters |
| 1978 | No award |
| 1977 | Dorothy Kelly, Pan American World Airways |
| 1976 | Gilbert Pelowook, Alaskan State Trooper |
| 1975 | Lina Polk, National Airlines |
| 1974 | Capt. Ordell T. Nordseth, North Central Airlines |
| 1973 | Capt. Alberto Guingue, Helicopteros Nacionales do Colombis (HELICOIL) |
| 1972 | Helicopter Crews, Police and Firemen of São Paulo, Brazil |
| 1971 | Stewardess Barbara Harrison (posthumously), British Overseas Airways Corp. |
| 1970 | First Officer James E. Hartley (posthumously), Eastern Air Lines |
| 1969 | Alston James, Eastern Air Lines |
| 1968 | Charles W. Schoenberg, Trans World Airlines |