posted 02-08-2007 10:30 AM               

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Fifth Annual Combs Gates Award "Call for Entries" announced by National Aviation Hall of Fame

The National Aviation Hall of Fame has officially announced a nationwide "call for entries" for its Fifth Annual Combs Gates Award. The prestigious $20,000 cash honor is presented annually to an individual or group for a submitted project juried to be exemplary in advancing the promotion and preservation of America's air and space heritage. The 2007 award ceremony will take place, as it has each year, at the Opening General Session of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual meeting and convention. The NBAA convention is the largest civil aviation event in the world and takes place this September 25-27 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Among projects eligible for the Combs Gates Award are books, film/video, public exhibits and artwork. In keeping with the NAHF's Congressionally chartered mission of honoring outstanding individual air and space pioneers, applicants are encouraged to submit a project with an emphasis on personal, human achievement. The deadline for submissions is May 25, 2007. A blue ribbon panel of five judges will independently review each project and applicants will be notified of the winner by August 1, 2007. Full details of the award criteria, eligibility and application guidelines are available by calling the NAHF at (937) 256-0944 x18 or by visiting www.nationalaviation.org

The Combs Award was originally named for its founder, NAHF enshrinee Harry Combs, and first presented at NBAA during the Centennial anniversary of powered flight in 2003. Combs died later the same year at age 90. In addition to being a pioneer of civil aviation, Combs was also a noted historian, author and philanthropist. Combs funded the initial three years of the award as part of an overall $1.3 million gift to the NAHF Learning & Research Center made prior to its opening in 2003.

In 2006, the changed the award's name to the Combs Gates Award, to reflect the new, ongoing support of the Charles C. and June S. Gates Family through a three-year Gates Family Fund grant to continue the contest. Charles C. Gates, who passed away in 2005 at age 84, was a prominent business aviation partner of Combs and shared his passion for the preservation of America's air and space history.

"Thanks to the vision of Harry Combs, and now with the aid of the Gates family, the projects this award encourages help the National Aviation Hall of Fame highlight the inspirational legacies of our great air and space pioneers for generations to come," said Ron Kaplan, Executive Director of the 46-year-old non-profit organization. "It's not surprising that several enshrinees participate annually in presenting the award, as much to salute Mr. Combs' and Mr. Gates' spirit of support as to honor the recipient."

"Most committed historians toil with dedication and passion but without much tangible acknowledgment of their effort," explained Kaplan. "The Combs Gates Award, named for a pair of aviation legends in their own right, generously and prominently corrects that. It's the privilege of the National Aviation Hall of Fame to administer such a mission-relevant process and spotlight a well-deserving historian at NBAA each year."

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