posted 11-28-2018 09:54 AM               

National Aviation Hall of Fame Reveals 'Class of 2019'

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is thrilled to announce the individuals who have been elected for its 2019 Enshrinement. Trustee and Executive Board Member Dr. Kathryn Hughes and Executive Director Amy Spowart revealed the Class of 2019 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 from a prestigious group of previously-nominated air and space pioneers to be recognized for their achievements with induction into the NAHF. Since its founding in 1962, 241 men and women have been honored with enshrinement into the Congressionally-chartered, non-profit National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The NAHF Class of 2019, who will be inducted at the 57th Enshrinement Dinner & Ceremony on September 28th, 2019 in Denver, CO, is a diverse group representing a broad range of enduring contributions to both the advancement of flight and manned exploration of space.

• Colonel Guion "Guy" S. Bluford, USAF (Ret) - Ph.D. aerospace engineer, fighter pilot, decorated Vietnam veteran, instructor pilot, NASA Group 8, mission specialist on four Space Shuttle missions.

• (The late) Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, USMC - Congressional Medal of Honor Awardee, "Flying Tiger" combat pilot and flight leader, WWII fighter ace, CO of the "Black Sheep Squadron", WWII POW.

• Brigadier General Charles M. Duke, Jr., USAF (Ret) - USNA graduate, test pilot, NASA Group 5, CAPCOM Apollo 11, LMP Apollo 16, 10th person to walk on the moon.

• Mrs. and Mr. Martha & John King - 40 year veterans of aviation instruction, revolutionary pioneers of multimedia training programs that have instructed more than half the pilots in the U.S. flying now.

• (The late) Ms. Katherine Stinson - 4th female in the U.S. to earn a pilot's certificate, founder of the Stinson School of Flying (1915), trained WWI military pilots, first woman to carry airmail, exhibition circuit pilot, set multiple distance and endurance records.

The National Aviation Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1962 and chartered by an Act of the U.S. Congress in 1964. The NAHF strives to achieve its mission to honor America's aerospace legends to inspire future leaders by offering interactive exhibits in a 17,000 square-foot public Learning Center, presenting outreach through youth programing and collaboration with peer organizations.

posted 08-07-2019 11:04 AM               

Presenters Announced for the 57th Annual National Aviation Hall of Fame Enshrinement

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is pleased to announce an outstanding assembly of aviation's finest to serve as Presenters for the Class of 2019. A time honored role, this year's presenters will include two NAHF Enshrinees, a retired NASA leader, a USMC Commander and an industry luminary.

The members of the NAHF Class of 2019 are: Colonel Guion "Guy" S. Bluford, USAF (Ret)- Ph.D. aerospace engineer, fighter pilot, decorated Vietnam veteran, space shuttle astronaut; (the late) Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, USMC- Medal of Honor Awardee, "Flying Tiger" combat pilot, CO of the "Black Sheep Squadron", WWII POW; Brigadier General Charles M. Duke, Jr., USAF (Ret)- USNA graduate, NASA Group 5, CAPCOM Apollo 11, LMP Apollo 16, 10th person to walk on the moon; Martha & John King- 40 year veterans of aviation instruction, revolutionary pioneers of multimedia training programs; and (the late) Katherine Stinson- fourth female in the U.S. to earn a pilot's certificate, founder of the Stinson School of Flying. The five inductees will bring the total number of NAHF Enshrinees to 246.

Dr. Julian M. Earls, retired Director of the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio, will present Dr. Bluford at Enshrinement. Dr. Earls has written 28 publications for technical and educational journals including the first health physics guides used at NASA. He has been awarded NASA medals for exceptional achievement and outstanding leadership, and has received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive.

Presenting Col. Boyington will be Lt. Colonel Michael Cassidy, USMC, Commanding Officer, Marine Attack Squadron 214, call sign "Black Sheep," which was formed in 1943 under Boyington. LtCol Cassidy has accumulated over 1,700 hours in tactical jet aircraft. His decorations include the Air Medal with numeral "3" Strike device, a Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with 3 Gold Stars and the Navy Achievement Medal with 2 Gold Stars.

B/Gen. Duke will be presented by 2011 Enshrinee Dr. S. Harry Robertson. Dr. Robertson is the inventor of the Robertson Crashworthy Fuel System, or "Robbie Tanks," and is credited with saving thousands of pilots' lives with his ballistically tolerant, self-sealing fuel cells. Dr. Robertson and his colleagues also wrote all five editions of the U.S. Army's Crash Survival Design Guide, the leading manual of its type.

John & Martha King will be presented by Mr. Phil Boyer. Mr. Boyer served as the President of AOPA from 1991 to 2009 and is a Member of the Management Council at the Next Generation Air Transportation System Institute. He is a 7,000-hour-plus, instrument- and multiengine-rated pilot who has been flying for more than 30 years, 15 as an aircraft owner.

2009 Enshrinee Colonel Eileen Collins, USAF (Ret) will be presenting Katherine Stinson for enshrinement. Col. Collins is the first woman to command a space shuttle and was the Commander on STS-114, the first Return-To-Flight Mission after the loss of the Columbia. Accepting for Ms. Stinson will be Ms. Jan McKenzie, President of the International 99's.

The 57th Annual NAHF Enshrinement & Ceremony, widely recognized as the "Oscar Night of Aviation," will take place at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver, Colorado on September 28, 2019. Serving as emcee will be the talented Matthew Burchette, host of Rocky Mountain PBS's Behind the Wings and a longtime supporter of the NAHF. Burchette also served as the curator for Wings Over the Rockies for 14 years and recently became the senior curator for the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. The celebration will begin with the President's Reception at the Boeing Blue Sky Aviation Gallery 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 Mission Control Specialist Gene Kranz, X-15 Pilot Astronaut Joe Engle, Apollo astronaut Walt Cunningham, Shuttle astronauts Charlie Bolden and Hoot Gibson, aviation visionary and test pilot Clay Lacy, general aviation titan Dale Klapmeier and Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee. NAHF candidates Rhea Seddon, Peggy Chabrain and Connie Tobias will also 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, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, FedEx, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Southwest Airlines, Williams International, GAMA, NBAA, CAE, and Perform Air International.