“Travel concerns for our national audience and appreciation for the aviation industry necessitate the postponement of the 2021 enshrinement,” officials with the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, declared in May 2021.
“While there is much to be positive about as the nation is increasingly vaccinated from COVID-19, we are still cautious regarding travel and uneasy in seeking sponsorship when many of our supporters are hard hit economically,“ said President and CEO Amy Spowart. “We appreciate the understanding and support of our participants, sponsors, NAHF members, and the City of Dayton in this decision.”
The annual enshrinement ceremony is widely known as the Oscar Night of Aviation and draws a national audience, including aviation legends, heroes, industry leaders, corporate sponsors, elected officials, and lifelong NAHF members. The event has hosted such notables as John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Miles O’Brien, and Dennis Quaid and welcomed many aviation legends like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Jackie Cochran, Eileen Collins, and Dick Rutan.
Awards and other NAHF programs are taking place in 2021, including voting for the Class of 2022, according to Board of Nominations Chair Tom Lodge.
“The voting will take place this summer, on schedule,” he said.
The 2022 enshrinement will take place in Dayton, Ohio, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.