posted 11-29-2017 07:56 PM               

National Aviation Hall of Fame Reveals 'Class of 2018'

Announcement made today at National Aeronautic Association dinner in Washington, D.C.

Today the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) announced the four individuals who have been elected for its 2018 Enshrinement Dinner & Ceremony. Executive Board Member Dr. Kathy Hughes and Executive Director Amy Spowart revealed the names before an audience of nearly 300 attendees at the fall awards dinner of the National Aeronautic Association in Washington, D.C.

Each year, the NAHF Board of Nominations, a voting body comprised of over 120 aviation professionals nationwide, selects a handful of previously-nominated air and space pioneers to be recognized for their achievements with induction into the NAHF. Since its founding in 1962, 237 men and women have been honored with enshrinement into the Congressionally-chartered 501(c)(3).

The NAHF Class of 2018 is a diverse group representing a broad range of enduring contributions to both the advancement of flight and the manned exploration of space:

• Colonel Walter Cunningham, USMCR (Ret) is a decorated Korean War veteran, fighter pilot, physicist, Apollo 7 Lunar Module Pilot and SKYLAB Chief.

• General John R. (Jack) Dailey, USMC (Ret) is a decorated Vietnam veteran, Former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Chief of Staff, Former Deputy Administrator of NASA and the acting Director of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

• (The late) William H. (Bill) Dana was a 40 year veteran of NASA, test pilot and aeronautical engineer. He was also the project pilot for the X-15 and pilot astronaut for the X-20, among several other aircraft.

• General Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF (Ret) is a United States Air Force Academy graduate, decorated Vietnam veteran (logging 80 missions as a Misty), Command Pilot and Parachutist, 15th Chief of Staff of the Air Force and author of the Air Force Core Values.

The National Aviation Hall of Fame was founded in Dayton in 1962 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1964. Its mission is to honor America's aerospace legends to inspire future leaders, which it does through a 17,000 square-foot public Learning Center featuring interactive exhibits, a youth education program, other public outreach programs, its annual enshrinement ceremony and collaboration with like-minded organizations.

posted 01-22-2018 12:58 PM               

National Aviation Hall of Fame Enshrinement Locations

The Board of Trustees announce future sites of the "Oscar Night of Aviation"

The Board of Trustees of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) are pleased to announce the site selections of Washington, DC in 2018, Denver, Colorado in 2019 and Dayton, Ohio in 2020. The nearly unanimous vote by the Board reaffirms the Board's strategy of expanding the National Aviation Hall of Fame brand to a national audience.

The Class of 2018 will be inducted in late September in Washington, D.C. Chairman Michael Quiello says, "The Washington D.C. area is very easy to travel to and has outstanding accommodations and venues. Our induction ceremony will certainly attract senior industry leaders in both the private and government sectors. As a national organization, it is an honor and privilege to be inducting the Class of 2018 in our nation's capital."

"We are also proud to announce that the Class of 2019 will be inducted at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum in Denver, CO," reports President David Brixey. Brixey adds, "We have yet to take our brand to the western U.S. and feel that Denver's aerospace-rich environment is ideal for us to share our mission in another exciting market."

Executive Director Amy Spowart adds, "Our goal is that by 2020 our Learning Center, which is visited by over a quarter of a million visitors a year and is co-located with the National Museum of the United States Air Force, will have been completely renovated and revitalized with updated content, improved state-of-the art interactives and sponsored galleries. This would make Dayton the ideal location for a magnificent Homecoming Enshrinement event and a grand unveiling of our new Learning Center."

posted 02-14-2018 05:17 PM               

National Aviation Hall of Fame Announces Enshrinement 2018 Date and Venue

Event will take place September 28 at the National Building Museum

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) Board of Trustees are delighted to announce that the 56th NAHF Enshrinement Dinner and Ceremony will take place at Washington, D.C.'s National Building Museum on September 28, 2018.

"Our mission is to Honor Aerospace Legends to Inspire Future Leaders. This significant venue will make the 2018 Enshrinement the most prominent to date and help us achieve our mission," says NAHF Chairman Michael Quiello. "Our event has always been widely recognized as the Oscar Night of Aviation, but this will be beyond anything our Enshrinees, sponsors and members have ever seen before. The NAHF has reached the next level."

The extraordinary class of aviation legends to be inducted at this stellar venue are:

Decorated Korean War veteran, fighter pilot, physicist, Apollo 7 Lunar Module Pilot and Skylab Chief Colonel Walter Cunningham, USMC (Ret); decorated Vietnam veteran, Former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Chief of Staff, Former Deputy Administrator of NASA and Director of the National Air and Space General John R. (Jack) Dailey, USMC (Ret); 40-year veteran of NASA, test pilot and aeronautical engineer, project pilot for the X-15 and pilot astronaut for the X-20 and several other aircraft (the late) William H. (Bill) Dana; and United States Air Force Academy graduate, decorated Vietnam veteran (logging 80 missions as a Misty), Command Pilot and Parachutist, 15th Chief of Staff of the Air Force and author of the Air Force Core Values General Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF (Ret).

"Our Enshrinement 2018 venue, formerly known as the Pension Building, was built in 1887 to house the disbursement of pensions to Civil War veterans and widows and is an early example of Renaissance Revival architecture," explains NAHF Executive Director Amy Spowart. "Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, the National Building Museum was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. Its column-lined interior has held numerous presidential inaugural balls and even has the Seal of the President of the United States set in the floor."

Founded in Dayton, OH and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1964, the non-profit NAHF is co-located with the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB. Its 17,000 square-foot public Learning Center offers interactive exhibits and attracts over 250,000 visitors a year. NAHF programming includes an annual Wings of Women (WOW) youth education event and other collaborations that support the mission of the 501(c)(3): Honoring Aerospace Legends to Inspire Future Leaders.

"The NAHF proudly serves as the only Congressionally-chartered aviation hall of fame that honors the people; industry leaders, pilots and aviators, engineers and scientists, astronauts and inventors who have made American aerospace what it is today," states NAHF President David Brixey. "By leveraging our unique position within the NMUSAF, this national treasure inspires visitors by sharing the contributions of our Enshrinees in our Learning Center."

Sponsorship information and individual seats will be available soon. Please visit the website or contact the NAHF at 937-256-0944, ext. 11 for more information.

posted 06-20-2018 11:07 AM               

Presenters Announced for the 56th Annual National Aviation Hall of Fame Enshrinement

Event will take place on September 28, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is pleased to announce an outstanding assembly of aviation's finest to serve as Presenters of the Class of 2018. A timed honored role, this year's presenters will include two NAHF Enshrinees, a retired Air Force leader and an industry luminary.

The NAHF Class of 2018 are; Colonel R. Walter "Walt" Cunningham, USMC (Ret), Korean War veteran, fighter pilot and Apollo astronaut; General John R. "Jack" Dailey, USMC (Ret), Vietnam veteran, fighter pilot, Marine Corps, NASA and NASM leader; the late Mr. William "Bill" Dana, NASA pioneer, engineer and test pilot; and General Ronald R. "Ron" Fogleman, USAF (Ret), Vietnam veteran, fighter pilot and Air Force Leader. The four inductees will bring the total number of NAHF Enshrinees to 241.

2004 NAHF Enshrinee Major General William A. "Bill" Anders, USAF (Ret) will present Col. Cunningham at enshrinement. M/Gen. Anders is an engineer, Apollo astronaut and was one of the first three humans to experience the dark side of the moon. After his military career, M/Gen. Anders served in leadership positions at several aerospace companies such as Textron and General Dynamics.

Presenting General Dailey will be aviation legend, Mr. Bruce Whitman. Mr. Whitman is currently the President and CEO of Flight Safety, International. Additionally, Mr. Whitman is Chairman Emeritus of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and serves on several boards including Orbis International.

2001 NAHF Enshrinee Major General Joe Engle., USAF (Ret) will present Mr. Dana for induction into the NAHF. M/Gen. Engle is the last living X-15 pilot, and is a USAF and NASA test pilot and Shuttle astronaut. M/Gen. Engle is the only person to have manually landed the space shuttle through reentry and landing and the only person to have flown two winged aircraft in space (the X-15 and the Shuttle).

Presenting General Fogleman will Major General Donald Shepperd, USAF (Ret). M/Gen. Shepperd served as MISTY FAC in Vietnam and took several leadership rules in the USAF before serving as the Director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon from 1994 to 1998. Since then, he has authored several books and has served as a military analyst for national news programs.

The 56th Annual NAHF Enshrinement & Ceremony, widely recognized as the "Oscar Night of Aviation," will take place at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. on September 28, 2018. Serving as emcee will be the remarkable David Hartman, former host of ABC's "Good Morning America" and a longtime supporter the NAHF. The celebration will begin with the President's Reception at the National Air & Space Museum on September 27th.

The NAHF's Enshrinement is open to the public and reservations are available by advance purchase. Nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend, including industry leaders and over a dozen returning Enshrinees, including astronauts Eileen Collins and Hoot Gibson, general aviation titans Dale Klapmeier and Tom Poberezny, WWII triple-ace Bud Anderson and Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee, among returning Enshrinees yet to be announced. Also, NAHF candidates Dr. Rhea Seddon and Capt. Connie Tobias will join the celebration this year.

Sponsorship is available at all levels and, while limited, includes premium seating with other associated benefits; some levels include invitations to the President's Reception. Committed sponsors to date include Cirrus Aircraft, United Airlines, GE Aviation, Scotts Miracle-Gro, DuPont, Williams International and Northrop-Grumman.