The National Aviation Hall of Fame’s 61st Enshrinement Dinner & Ceremony is scheduled for September 19 in the B-29 Doc Hangar in Wichita, Kansas.
Tickets are now on sale for the event (6-10 p.m. CDT), which celebrates and recognizes the legends of aviation who have helped shape and promote aerospace.
“Each of these inductees embodies the spirit of innovation, courage, and commitment that has shaped the history of aviation, and we invite you to join us in celebrating their legacies,” NAHF said in a news release.
The class of 2025 is made up of six individuals who have made extraordinary and pioneering contributions to aviation:
• Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie: She was the first woman to earn FAA certification as an aircraft mechanic. The late Omlie was also an accomplished pilot, setting many records in the 1920s and 1930s. She was the first woman to hold an air transport pilot (ATP) certificate, and in 1932 President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her special advisor for air intelligence to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA’s predecessor), making her the first woman to be appointed to a federal aviation position.
• Frank D. Robinson: Robinson, the late aeronautical engineer and founder of the Robinson Helicopter Company, revolutionized the world of rotorcraft with the development of the Robinson R22 and R44. Both used extensively in the training world, the R44 remains the best-selling helicopter to date.
• Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton, U.S. Air Force (retired): A four-star general, Newton served as an Air Force pilot in the Vietnam War, flying 269 combat missions from Da Nang Air Base, which included 79 missions over North Vietnam. In 1974 he was selected to be a pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. In 1997 he was named Commander of Air Education and Training Command (COMAETC), a position he held until 2000.
• Mae Jemison: A physician and NASA astronaut, Jemison was the first African American woman admitted to NASA’s astronaut training program and the first to journey into space as a member of space shuttle Endeavor in 1992. During the mission, Jemison, who earned her medical degree in 1981, conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the crew and herself.
• John J. Goglia: Goglia was the first FAA-certified mechanic to serve on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In 1997 he chaired the NTSB’s hearing regarding the crash of ValuJet Flight 592. Goglia is the president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association.
• Julie Clark: Clark, a retired airline pilot and aerobatic performer extraordinaire, has been wowing airshow audiences and inspiring future pilots for over 40 years. She was one of the first American women to become an airline pilot and, as an airshow performer, is a fan favorite in her T-34 Mentor.
The black-tie event is made possible by sponsors such as Textron Aviation, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), MedAire, Robinson Helicopter Company, Avelo Airlines, Aviation Partners Inc., Embraer, Williams International, Signature Aviation, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), just to name a few.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities here.
