Four Legends Of Flight, Apollo Crews Formally Honored In Dayton

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) enshrined four individuals Saturday, along with the recipient of its 2009 Milton Caniff “Spirit of Flight” Award. The ceremony was a special presentation at a dinner celebrating the 105th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers first powered flight.
 
The Class of 2009 includes:

• Eileen Collins, USAF test pilot and first female Shuttle commander, was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle aboard Discovery STS-63 in 1995. In 1999, she became the first woman Shuttle Commander aboard STS-93. In July 2005, Collins was selected to lead NASA’s Return to Flight aboard Discovery STS-114 when flight operations resumed following the Columbia accident. She logged over 872 hours in space during her four missions.

  

• Russell Meyer, Jr., former Chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company, championed the battle against the stifling legal atmosphere that nearly decimated the multibillion general aviation industry in the late 1970s and 80s.  As a result, Congress passed the General Aviation Revitalization Act in 1994.  With another 1990s concern being a decrease in entry-level pilot programs, Meyer led development of the “Be A Pilot” program, creating over 50,000 new licensed pilots and an economic impact of over $200 million.
• The late James M. Stewart, WWII bomber pilot, award winning actor and airpower advocate, was 33 years old, already an Academy Award winning actor, graduate of Princeton, and a private pilot with over 400 hours when he enlisted in the US Army in March 1941.  Upon earning his wings and commission in August 1943, he actively sought posting to a flying unit and was assigned to the U.K.-based 445th Bomb Group, first as a squadron Operations Officer and then as its commander. He flew 20 combat missions in B-24’s, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, the Croix de Guerre, and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters.  Continuing his post-war service with the United States Air Force Reserve, he achieved the rank of Brigadier General in 1959, retiring from active duty in 1968.
• The late Edward H. White, II, West Point grad,USAF test pilot, and Gemini and Apollo astronaut. White was chosen in the second group of astronauts in 1962.  His first mission was as pilot for Gemini IV, the first long duration flight for the Gemini program, with James A. McDivitt serving as command pilot.  White made America’s first spacewalk on this mission, a 21-minute Extra Vehicle Activity during which he maneuvered on the end of a 25-foot tether using a hand-held gas gun. White was one of three astronauts killed in the tragic Apollo 1 launch pad fire in 1967.

The 2009 Milton Caniff “Spirit of Flight” Award recipient is the Apollo Astronaut Crews, honored for their role in enabling man to walk on the lunar surface and return safely to earth. The award, bestowed annually upon a group or organization in recognition of its achievement in advancing aviation, was presented at the NAHF President’s Reception & Dinner in Dayton on Friday – three days before the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. All surviving Apollo astronauts were invited to accept the honor in person and attend the enshrinement ceremony.

Each year, the NAHF Board of Nominations, a voting body comprised of over 130 air and space professionals nationwide, selects the handful of individuals to be recognized for their aviation achievements through enshrinement into the NAHF. Often referred to as “America’s Oscar Night of Aviation,” the NAHF enshrinement celebration attracts hundreds of industry leaders, government and defense officials, former enshrinees, and aviation enthusiasts worldwide.
 
The Class of 2009 joins the 199 legends of flight previously so honored by the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

FMI: www.nationalaviation.org