Event will take place on September 28, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is pleased to announce an outstanding assembly of aviation’s finest to serve as Presenters of the Class of 2018. A timed honored role, this year’s presenters will include two NAHF Enshrinees, a retired Air Force leader and an industry luminary.
The NAHF Class of 2018 are; Colonel R. Walter “Walt” Cunningham, USMC (Ret), Korean War veteran, fighter pilot and Apollo astronaut; General John R. “Jack” Dailey, USMC (Ret), Vietnam veteran, fighter pilot, Marine Corps, NASA and NASM leader; the late Mr. William “Bill” Dana, NASA pioneer, engineer and test pilot; and General Ronald R. “Ron” Fogleman, USAF (Ret), Vietnam veteran, fighter pilot and Air Force Leader. The four inductees will bring the total number of NAHF Enshrinees to 241.
2004 NAHF Enshrinee Major General William A. “Bill” Anders, USAF (Ret) will present Col. Cunningham at enshrinement. M/Gen. Anders is an engineer, Apollo astronaut and was one of the first three humans to experience the dark side of the moon. After his military career, M/Gen. Anders served in leadership positions at several aerospace companies such as Textron and General Dynamics.
Presenting General Dailey will be aviation legend, Mr. Bruce Whitman. Mr. Whitman is currently the President and CEO of Flight Safety, International. Additionally, Mr. Whitman is Chairman Emeritus of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and serves on several boards including Orbis International.
2001 NAHF Enshrinee Major General Joe Engle., USAF (Ret) will present Mr. Dana for induction into the NAHF. M/Gen. Engle is the last living X-15 pilot, and is a USAF and NASA test pilot and Shuttle astronaut. M/Gen. Engle is the only person to have manually landed the space shuttle through reentry and landing and the only person to have flown two winged aircraft in space (the X-15 and the Shuttle).
Presenting General Fogleman will Major General Donald Shepperd, USAF (Ret). M/Gen. Shepperd served as MISTY FAC in Vietnam and took several leadership rules in the USAF before serving as the Director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon from 1994 to 1998. Since then, he has authored several books and has served as a military analyst for national news programs.
The 56th Annual NAHF Enshrinement & Ceremony, widely recognized as the “Oscar Night of Aviation,” will take place at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. on September 28, 2018. Serving as emcee will be the remarkable David Hartman, former host of ABC’s “Good Morning America” and a longtime supporter the NAHF. The celebration will begin with the President’s Reception at the National Air & Space Museum on September 27th.
The NAHF’s Enshrinement is open to the public and reservations are available by advance purchase. Nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend, including industry leaders and over a dozen returning Enshrinees, including astronauts Eileen Collins and Hoot Gibson, general aviation titans Dale Klapmeier and Tom Poberezny, WWII triple-ace Bud Anderson and Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee, among returning Enshrinees yet to be announced. Also, NAHF candidates Dr. Rhea Seddon and Capt. Connie Tobias will join the celebration this year.
Sponsorship is available at all levels and, while limited, includes premium seating with other associated benefits; some levels include invitations to the President’s Reception. Committed sponsors to date include Cirrus Aircraft, United Airlines, GE Aviation, Scotts Miracle-Gro, DuPont, Williams International and Northrop-Grumman.
The NAHF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1962 and chartered by an Act of the U.S. Congress in 1964. The NAHF strives to achieve its mission to honor America’s aerospace legends to inspire future leaders by offering interactive exhibits in a 17,000 square-foot public Learning Center, presenting outreach through youth programing and collaboration with peer organizations.
For more information visit www.nationalaviation.org or call (937) 256-0944 ext. 11.
