The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) selected six aerospace pioneers for induction as its Class of 2027.
According to NAHF officials, the inductees were chosen by the organization’s Board of Nominations to recognize individuals who have made lasting contributions to air and space exploration.
“From the entrepreneurial vision that advanced model rocketry and commercial air travel to the engineering breakthroughs that carried us to new frontiers in aviation and space exploration, this class is extraordinary in every way,” said Aimee Maruyama, NAHF president and CEO.
Class of 2027 Inductees
- J. Bob Balaram: Aerospace engineer and originator and chief engineer of the Mars Helicopter project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, leading the development of the Ingenuity aircraft.
- Vernon Estes: Founder of Estes Industries, who invented automated machinery to mass-produce model rocket engines and broadened STEM accessibility.
- Neal Vernon Loving (posthumous): Aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer who built the Loving’s Love midget racer and became the first African American certified to race airplanes.
- Charles J. Precourt: Retired U.S. Air Force colonel, test pilot, veteran of four space shuttle flights, and former NASA Chief Astronaut with more than 13,000 flight hours in more than 100 aircraft types.
- Judith A. Resnik (posthumous): Electrical engineer and NASA astronaut who served as a mission specialist on the maiden flight of Space Shuttle Discovery before dying aboard Challenger in 1986.
- Steven Udvar-Hazy: Commercial aviation executive and philanthropist who pioneered modern aircraft leasing by co-founding International Lease Finance Corporation and Air Lease Corporation.
The six will be inducted during a ceremony Sept. 24, 2027, in Dayton, Ohio.
For more information: NationalAviation.org
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