The Distinguished Half-Dozen

Founded to establish and maintain ongoing means by which to honor native Minnesotans who’ve contributed significantly to the development, advancement, and promotion of aviation in Minnesota and elsewhere, the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame strives to foster, promote, and encourage public appreciation of the state’s rich aviation history.

In addition to acknowledging its inductees’ achievements and distinctions, the Hall of Fame serves as a repository of subject individuals’ biographical files, interview tapes, photos, memorabilia, and archival materials such as scrapbooks, logbooks, papers, news clippings, etc.

Every year, the Hall of Fame Selection Panel meets to determine six new inductees to be installed during a spring ceremony. The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame is proud to announce the names of the six persons to be inducted into the Hall of Fame’s 2023 class:

• WALTER FRICKE – Combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam, Founder/AirBoss Veterans Airlift Command.
• ROBERT D. HODGE – WWII veteran and a Game Warden pilot, with an extensive career in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
• BARBARA MACK – Renowned Minnesota flight instructor, and FAA designated aviation examiner, holding several type ratings.
• JOHN J. PARKER – WWII combat veteran with a distinguished career with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a Game Warden pilot.
• RANDALL L. SOHN – An Air National Guard and North Central pilot, who was pivotal in establishing the Southern Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.
• ROBERT D. WIPLINGER – Minnesota aviation businessman and manufacturer of Wipline Floats, and creator of the FireBoss fire-fighting aircraft.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Saturday, 01 April 2023 at 16:45 CDT in the Minnetonka Ballroom at Mystic Lake Center at 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd., Prior Lake, MN 55372. Parties interested in procuring tickets for the event are invited to visit the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame website.

FMI: www.mahof.org