The National Aviation Hall of Fame revealed the names of the four people elected for enshrinement in July, along with the recipient of its 2009 Milton Caniff “Spirit of Flight” Award, at a dinner celebrating the 105th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers first powered flight, Dec. 17.
The 2009 Hall of Fame inductees are Eileen Collins, USAF test pilot and first female Shuttle commander; Russell Meyer Jr., former Chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company; the late Brig. Gen. James M. Stewart, World War II B-24 pilot, award winning actor and airpower advocate; and the late Edward H. White II, West Point graduate, USAF test pilot and Gemini and Apollo astronaut. Collins and Meyer plan to accept their honors personally, a Hall of Fame announcement said. The daughter of Stewart and son and daughter of White will attend, accepting enshrinement on behalf of their fathers, at the July 18 dinner and ceremony in Dayton, Ohio.
The 2009 Milton Caniff “Spirit of Flight” Award recipient will be 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 on a group or organization in recognition of an achievement in advancing aviation, will be presented at the NAHF President’s Reception and Dinner in Dayton on July 17, three days before the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. All surviving Apollo astronauts have been invited to accept the honor in person and attend the enshrinement ceremony the following night, which includes the induction of their fellow crewman, Ed White, who lost his life in the Apollo 1 launch pad fire in 1967.
For information: www.nationalaviation.org or 937-256-0944 ext.10.
