The Boeing Company, Apollo 15 Astronaut Al Worden, Coast Guard Aviation, Dale Myers, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the “Non-Skeds,” ORBIS International Flying Eye Hospital and America’s Aviation Family of Excellence are among the honorees being enshrined during this year’s International Air & Space Hall of Fame Celebration at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
The honorees will be enshrined on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, in the Museum’s Pavilion of Flight.
Since 1963 the International Air & Space Hall of Fame has honored more than 200 of the world’s pilots, crew members, visionaries, inventors, aerospace engineers, business leaders, preservationists, designers and space pioneers.
The honorees are selected for their achievements and historic contributions to aviation, space and aerospace innovation or expanding the public’s aviation and space awareness to the world. Their contributions are prime examples of endurance and the adventurous exploring spirit in the pursuit of knowledge and scientific advancement, according to officials.
Proceeds from the evening benefit the Museum’s youth education programs.
The Class of 2016 includes:
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
Founded in 1939, this nonprofit has been protecting the freedom to fly for more than 75 years. This organization started small, but today has around 400,000 members and strives to make aviation safe, fun and affordable. Initiative, teamwork, service, integrity and excellence are the simple but important values AOPA represents.
Al Worden
As Command Module Pilot for Apollo 15, the first extended scientific exploration of the Moon, Al Worden spent six days orbiting our neighbor in space, including three days completely alone, the most isolated human in existence. During the return to earth he also conducted the first spacewalk in deep space, becoming the first human to see both the entire Earth and Moon simply by turning his head. The Apollo 15 flight capped an already-impressive career as an astronaut for Worden, including important contributions on the pioneering Apollo 9 and Apollo 12 missions, as well as the perilous flight of Apollo 13.
The Boeing Company – 100th Anniversary
In 2016, the International Air & Space Hall of Fame congratulates The Boeing Company as it celebrates 100 years. During those 100 years, The Boeing Company’s contributions to technology and innovation in aviation and space have contributed to virtually every scientific field. Previous Boeing luminaries have also taken their places in the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, including founder William E. Boeing (enshrined in 1984), his son Bill Boeing Jr. (2014), legal counsel and President William Allen (1975), and former senior executive leader and President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally (2015).
Coast Guard Aviation – 100th Anniversary
“You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back!” This unofficial motto of the Coast Guard dates to an 1899 United States Lifesaving Service regulation, which states in part: “In attempting a rescue…he will not desist from his efforts until by actual trial, the impossibility of effecting a rescue is demonstrated.” From assisting with the establishment of crucial aids to navigation, to conducting medical evacuations of mariners at sea, to transporting endangered sea animals from coast to coast, Coast Guard aviation is a key element in nearly every Coast Guard mission.
Dale Myers
Dale Myers had a remarkable career beginning in the mid-1940s, with his developmental work on various aircraft, including the North American F-82 Twin Mustang. During the next two decades, he experienced steady advancement into missile development at Rockwell International, and by 1964, had culminated with contract work for NASA’s space program where he became Program Manager of the Apollo program’s Command/Service Module Program. From 1970 to 1974, he was the associate administrator for Manned Space Flight at NASA, a period he most often described as the highlight of his career. He was in charge of Apollo 13 to 17, and Skylab, and led the initial planning of the Apollo/Soyuz and Shuttle Programs.
Non-Skeds
The “non-skeds airlines” were formed by a group of World War II pilots looking to continue flying after being discharged from the Air Force. Using DC-3s, DC-4s, C-46s, and other war-surplus aircraft, this upstart airline was set to challenge the dominance of the airways held by the scheduled airlines. The Non-Scheduled Airlines were the direct product of the economic model of supply and demand. The supply side in 1945 included the large numbers of motivated pilots and surplus aircraft that came out of the Armed Forces after World War II. The demand side was the huge untapped market of potential air travelers who wanted fast, low-cost transportation. Stan Weiss, Hal Cope and Ralph Cox were at the forefront of the entrepreneurs who saw this opportunity and capitalized on it.
ORBIS International Flying Eye Hospital
ORBIS International is a nonprofit development organization dedicated to saving eyesight worldwide. At the heart of ORBIS is the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital—a DC-10 aircraft containing an innovative teaching facility and ophthalmic surgical center. Volunteer pilots from FedEx Express and United Airlines fly the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital around the world, and its international medical team conducts treatment and training programs. Leading eye surgeons volunteer their time to perform surgery and teach aboard the aircraft during programs specifically designed to suit the skill level of host countries.
America’s Aviation Family of Excellence: The Maloneys and Hintons, Warbird and Air Racing Legends
Planes of Fame Air Museum is the oldest aviation museum west of the Rockies. Founded in 1957 by Edward Maloney, who, inspired by General “Hap” Arnold to save one of each and keep ‘em flying, amassed a collection of more than 150 aircraft and warbirds, 35 of which are flyable. Many of these aircraft are the last of their type, saved by this visionary who passed away in August 2016. His passion to preserve aviation history has been passed on to his children John and Karen, his son-in-law Steve Hinton and his grandson Steven Hinton, who currently serve on the museum’s board of directors.