As a past winner of said trophy* (really, at least sort of) I'm OK
with that.

It is an innovation. Why not give it to a team that tried to do
something really new, as opposed to yet another derivative design? I
won't say that this one is one for the ages, but if you look through
all the past winners, (http://www.aerofiles.com/collier-trophy.html)
you'll see that there are others that now don't seem any more
significant.

ADS-B may yet turn into a total fiasco and an embarrassment to all
concerned, so waiting a bit may have been wiser. On the other hand,
what in aviation does not have the potential to turn into a total
fiasco? Innovation and catastrophe pretty much go together.


*1995, member of 777 design team