Two iconic history-making pilots, two groundbreakers in aviation policy, and two astronauts are included in the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) Class of 2023.
The Class of 2023 includes:
- Kathryn Sullivan: Geologist, oceanographer, NASA astronaut, US Navy officer, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator. The first American woman to walk in space and a veteran of three shuttle missions. Also was the first woman to visit the deepest spot in the oceans.
- Angela Gittens: A ground-breaking leader who shaped airport security and policy as the CEO of multiple large-hub airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and Director General of Airports Council International-World.
- Fred Haise: US Marine, fighter pilot, test pilot, Apollo astronaut, Space Shuttle astronaut, aerospace executive, advocate, and best-selling author.
- (The late) Velta Benn: An aviation pioneer who began as a WASP and went on to fly for more than 63 years, amassing 55,000 flying hours as a CFI, FAA examiner, and safety expert.
- (The Late) Ed Stimpson: Business aviation legend who served as the first president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
- (The late) Cornelius Coffey: An aviation pioneer who, despite many racial barriers, became a pilot and mechanic who opened a flight school that trained more than 1,500 students, including hundreds of Tuskegee Airmen.
“We believe this is an excellent class, and we are already looking forward to their induction in Washington, D.C.,” NAHF Board of Nominations Chair Tom Lodge said. “From pioneers Benn and Coffey to visionaries Gittens and Stimpson and to aerospace heroes Haise and Sullivan, the NAHF’s Class of 2023 represents the best in aviation.”
The Class of 2023 will be enshrined at a ceremony on Sept. 22, 2023.
Each year, the NAHF Board of Nominations, a voting body made up of more of 130 aviation professionals, selects from a group of nominated air and space pioneers to be recognized for their achievements with induction into the NAHF. Since its founding in 1962, 254 people have been inducted into the only Congressionally-chartered aviation hall of fame in the United States.