Preecha Chen of sponsor Reed Exhibitions presents the award for the Boeing 747 to Boeing Commercial Airplanes' Randy Tinseth

"As every aviation historian knows, the Boeing 747 very nearly did not get built. The fact that it became the biggest selling widebody of all time and revolutionised long-haul air travel for tens and millions was down not just to the engineering vision , but the dogged perseverance of Joe Sutter, who headed the programme and thanked voters by video link from his office in Seattle.