The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) revealed the names of the four individuals elected for enshrinement in 2012, the organization’s 50th anniversary: Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb, Keith Ferris, late Lt. Gen. Elwood R. “Pete” Quesada, and late Richard T. Whitcomb.
Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb, a record-setting pilot who learned to fly at age 12, was the first and only woman to pass all of the Mercury astronaut selection tests. She also was the 1981 Nobel Prize nominee for her pioneering humanitarian work in the Amazon jungle.
Keith Ferris, known world-wide as the “Dean of American Aviation Art,” founded the American Society of Aviation Artists. He is also an expert and inventor of aircraft paint systems for military camouflage and high visibility purposes.
The late Lt. Gen. Elwood R. “Pete” Quesada, USAF, helped develop and successfully demonstrate air-to-air refueling in 1929, served as first commander of Tactical Air Command, and later helped establish and helmed the FAA.
The late Richard T. Whitcomb, acclaimed as the most influential aeronautical researcher of his time, his revolutionary concepts include the Area Rule, Supercritical Airfoil, and Winglets that enable aircraft to fly faster, farther and with less fuel.
The formal enshrinement ceremony, often referred to as “America’s Oscar Night of Aviation,” will take place in the Fall of 2012. Details of the event, including date, location and ticket information, will be announced by the National Aviation Hall of Fame in early 2012.
The NAHF is a non-profit organization founded in Dayton in 1962 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1964. Its mission is to honor America’s outstanding air and space pioneers, which it does through a 17,000 square-foot public Learning Center featuring interactive exhibits, a youth education program, its annual enshrinement ceremony, and other public outreach programs.
For more information: NationalAviation.org or 937-256-0944 ext.10.
