Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame facts for kids
The Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame recognizes aviation pioneers and contributors associated with the state of Georgia. The museum was created in 1989 by Governor Joe Frank Harris signing House Bill 110. The law called for a 15-member board to oversee the hall of fame, and for it to be housed at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base.
Candidates may be living or deceased, but must have been born in Georgia, lived in Georgia for at least four years, or made their contribution to aviation or aerospace in Georgia. The first class of seven was inducted at a banquet on August 26, 1989. A second group of seven was inducted at Robins on May 18, 1991 and a third class of five was inducted on November 7, 1992. Additional inductions have continued into 2022, with the hall of fame now containing 123 individuals.
Inductees
| Name | Image | Birth–Death | Year | Area of achievement | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. Porter Alexander |  |
(1835–1910) | 2006 | Military engineer who pioneered using observation balloons during combat | |
| Julius J. Alexander Jr. |  |
(1937–) | 2011 | Educator of aviators | |
| Ronald R "Ron" Alexander |  |
(1942–2016) | 2013 | Civil aviation businessman, creator of the Candler Field Museum | |
| Bert Atkinson |  |
(1889–1937) | 2009 | World War I aviator | |
| Fred P. Ayres |  |
(1930–) | 2002 | Aircraft manufacturer Ayres Corporation founder | |
| Brig. Gen. John C. Bahnsen |  |
(1934–) | 2016 | Decorated Vietnam War veteran of the U.S. Army | |
| Capt John M. Bailey |  |
(1945–) | 2015 | U.S. Air Force | |
| Capt. Francis Anderson Baker |  |
(1906–1994) | 2007 | ||
| Samuel "Winn" Baker |  |
(1936–2021) | 2013 | Delta Air Lines pilot | |
| Capt. Thomas Prioleau "Pre" Ball |  |
(1906–2006) | 2005 | Delta Air Lines pilot | |
| Lt. Col. Winton H. Barron |  |
(1906–1987) | 2000 | ||
| Elliot Gordon Zachary Bellah |  |
(1906–1996) | 2014 | Aviator and skydiver | |
| Forrest E. Boshears |  |
(1913–1991) | 2000 | ||
| Willis "Buster" Boshears | (1909–1981) | 2000 | |||
| Willis M. Boshears Jr. |  |
(1944–) | 2015 | U.S. Air Force | |
| Connie Bowlin |  |
(1950–) | 2009 | Civil aviation business | |
| Ed Bowlin | (1935–2014) | 2009 | Civil aviation business | ||
| Janet Harmon Bragg | (1907–1993) | 2022 | First African-American woman to hold a commercial pilot license | ||
| Maj. Gen. Roy D. Bridges Jr. |  |
(1943–) | 1995 | Former NASA astronaut and former Director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center and Langley Research Center | |
| Elton Brooks Jr. |  |
(1950–) | 2017 | Greenland Expedition Society, restorer of vintage military aircraft | |
| 2nd Lieutenant Eugene Jacques Bullard |  |
(1894–1961) | 1989 | World War I aviator, the first African-American military pilot | |
| Myrtle "Kay" Cagle |  |
(1925–2020) | 2003 | Aviator, writer and member of Mercury 13 female astronauts group | |
| Manley L. "Sonny" Carter Jr. |  |
(1947–1991) | 1992 | NASA astronaut who flew on STS-33 | |
| Capt. Charles Cevor |  |
(c. 1830–1910) | 2006 | ||
| Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry | (1939–) | 2015 | Vietnam War fighter pilot, author of "My Enemy…My Friend" | ||
| Gen. Lucius D. Clay |  |
(1919–1994) | 1997 | U.S. Air Force officer who was commander-in-chief of the North American Air Defense Command, the Continental Air Defense Command, and was also a commander of Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) | |
| Donnie L. Cochran |  |
(1954–) | 2022 | First African-American aviator in the Blue Angels | |
| Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran |  |
(1906–1980) | 2002 | American aviation pioneer and one of the most prominent racing pilots of her generation | |
| Col. William B. Colgan |  |
(1920–) | 1996 | US Army Air Corps aviator during World War II | |
| Col. Stanley N. Collins Jr. |  |
(1937–) | 2012 | U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Delta Air Lines | |
| Lt. Col. Philip E. "Casey" Colman |  |
(1921–2011) | 2002 | ||
| Charles N. Coppi |  |
(1931–) | 2001 | ||
| Lt. Col. Alfred Austell Cunningham |  |
(1882–1939) | 1991 | The first United States Marine Corps officer who became an aviator | |
| Anthony "Tony" Cushenberry Sr. |  |
(1935–) | 2003 | ||
| Douglas H. Davis |  |
(1899–1934) | 1991 | ||
| Lt. Col. Charles E. "Chuck" Dryden |  |
(1920–2008) | 1998 | World War II aviator, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, author of A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman. | |
| Henry T. Elrod |  |
(1905–1941) | 1995 | Marine Corps aviator who was the first aviator to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II | |
| Ben T. Epps |  |
(1888–1937) | 1989 | Aviation pioneer called “Georgia’s First Aviator”, namesake of Athens Ben Epps Airport | |
| E. Patrick Epps | (1934–) | 2011 | Greenland Expedition Society | ||
| Ben T. Epps Jr. |  |
(1916–2001) | 1994 | ||
| Bruce F. Erion |  |
(1946–2017) | 2018 | Television aviator | |
| Ben Faulkner |  |
(1892–1982) | 2003 | ||
| Charles "Jimmy" Faulkner | (1898–1970) | 2003 | |||
| Frank Faulkner | (1906–1994) | 2003 | Helped develop the autogyro at Pitcairn Aviation | ||
| Mike John Ferros |  |
(1943–) | 2016 | Public safety aviator | |
| Maj. Gen. George G. Finch |  |
(1902–1986) | 1996 | Senior Leader of the US Air National Guard | |
| Patrick J. Finneran Jr. | (194?–) | 2022 | Marines Corps aviator, executive at Boeing | ||
| Richard Fortenberry | (1938–) | 2016 | U.S. Army skydiver, one of the original Golden Knights | ||
| Charlotte Fogg Frye |  |
(1893–1983) | 1991 | ||
| Fitzhugh "Fitz" L. Fulton Jr. |  |
(1925–2015) | 1995 | Civilian research pilot at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center after a U.S. Air Force career | |
| David C. Garrett |  |
(1922–2012) | 2014 | Delta Air Lines executive | |
| Maj. Damon J. "Rocky" Gause |  |
(1915–1944) | 2000 | United States Army Air Corps officer in World War II | |
| George H. Gay Jr. |  |
(1917–1994) | 1994 | World War II pilot who participated in the Battle of Midway | |
| Richard F. Gillis | (1936–2002) | 2006 | |||
| Albert H. Glenn | (1922–) | 2011 | Grumman and Gulfstream executive | ||
| John H. "Jack" Gray |  |
(1892–1988) | 2012 | Supervised creation of Atlanta’s main airport | |
| Capt./Hon. Denmark Groover Jr. |  |
(1922–2001) | 2002 | World War II Marines Corps aviator with the so-called Black Sheep Squadron | |
| Lt. Gen. Robert E. Hails |  |
(1923–2012) | 2001 | U.S. Air Force officer long associated with Georgia bases including Moody and Robins; made significant contributions to aircraft engineering | |
| Hollis L. Harris |  |
(1931–2016) | 2005 | Executive for Delta Air Lines, Continental Air Lines, Air Canada and World Airways | |
| Daniel J. Haughton |  |
(1911–1987) | 1994 | Former president and CEO of Lockheed Corporation | |
| Capt. Basil Victor Hewes |  |
(1922–2011) | 1997 | Aviation fire safety pioneer who flew for Delta and the Royal Air Force | |
| Guy Franklin Hill Sr. |  |
(1921–2004) | 2004 | Civil aviation pioneer, early aerial traffic reporter, Hill Aviation Service | |
| Marion Stegeman Hodgson |  |
(1921–2016) | 2006 | ||
| Capt. James John Hoogerwerf |  |
(1943–) | 2020 | U.S. Air Force, Delta Air Lines | |
| Beverly E. "Old Maestro" Howard |  |
(1914–1971) | 1996 | ||
| Evelyn Greenblatt Howren |  |
(1917–1998) | 1994 | One of the first WASPs in World War II, one of the first women air traffic controllers, organized first all-woman squadron in Civil Air Patrol. | |
| Duane Huff |  |
(1943–) | 2020 | Young Eagles program | |
| Frank W. Hulse |  |
(1912–1992) | 1991 | Founder and former chairman of Southern Airways | |
| Frank O'Driscoll Hunter |  |
(1894–1982) | 1989 | World War I aviator, Georgia’s only flying ace | |
| Col. Joe. M. Jackson |  |
(1923–) | 1998 | Vietnam War aviator for United States Air Force, Medal of Honor recipient | |
| Billy Maddox Jones |  |
(1925–2013) | 2018 | U.S. Army Air Corp, Lockheed test pilot | |
| Lewis H. Jordan |  |
(1944–) | 2013 | AirTran (ValuJet) airline founder | |
| Edward J. Jungemann |  |
(1918–2012) | 2004 | ||
| Johnny S. Kytle |  |
(1905–1931) | 2014 | Air mail aviator and aerial acrobat | |
| Henry Edward Lowe |  |
(1951–) | 2019 | Lowe's Aviation in Macon | |
| James Tarver Lowe |  |
(1913–1998) | 1996 | Founder of Lowe's Aviation in Macon | |
| Samuel A. Lyons |  |
(1944–) | 2009 | Artist | |
| Patricia "Mother" Malone |  |
(1924–2008) | 2010 | Educator of aviators, early member of WAVES | |
| Henry "Doc" Manget Jr. |  |
(1921–2004) | 1998 | World War II bomber pilot | |
| Belford D. Maule |  |
(1911–1995) | 1992 | Civilian aircraft manufacturer with Maule Air | |
| June Maule |  |
(1917–2009) | 1999 | Civilian aircraft manufacturer with Maule Air | |
| Frank M. McAfee |  |
(1917–2006) | 2007 | ||
| Capt. David S. McCampbell |  |
(1910–1996) | 1999 | United States Navy fighter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient | |
| Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. |  |
(1920–1945) | 1997 | United States Army major killed in action during World War II, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor | |
| John Bingham McKibbon Jr. |  |
(1924–) | 2018 | U.S. Air Force | |
| Robert D. "Bob" McSwiggan |  |
(1931–) | 2012 | Educator of aviators | |
| Hamilton McWhorter III |  |
(1921–2008) | 1989 | U.S. Navy World War II aviator | |
| Col. Howard H. "Mac" McWhorter Jr. |  |
(1931–2007) | 1998 | ||
| Glenn E. Messer |  |
(1896–1995) | 1991 | Educator of aviators, including Charles Lindbergh in 1923 | |
| Joseph C. Miles |  |
(1924–2015) | 2007 | ||
| Col. James S. Mosbey |  |
(1942–) | 2010 | U.S. Air Force | |
| Henry Tift Myers Sr. |  |
(1907–1968) | 2007 | ||
| Maj. Gen. Cornelius Nugteren |  |
(1928–2017) | 2004 | United States Air Force major general associated with Robins Air Force Base | |
| Lt. Col. Winship Nunnally | (1885-1975) | 2016 | Civil aviation | ||
| Maj. Marion P. "Dutch" Owens |  |
(1921–2005) | 2003 | ||
| Maj. Gen. Joel B. Paris III |  |
(1922–2014) | 2002 | ||
| Charles “Buck" Pattillo |  |
(1924–2019) | 2000 | Air Force lieutenant general who was deputy commander in chief, U.S. Readiness Command | |
| Cuthbert "Bill" Pattillo |  |
(1924–2014) | 2000 | Major general in the United States Air Force who served as director of plans and policy for the United States Readiness Command | |
| Lt. Col. Aldine "Al" Patton |  |
(1923–2015) | 2005 | ||
| Maj. Gen. John R. Paulk | (1931–) | 2010 | U.S. Air Force | ||
| Allen E. Paulson |  |
(1922–2000) | 1992 | Aviation businessman | |
| Curtis Pitts |  |
(1915–2005) | 1991 | Designer of a series of aerobatic biplanes known as the Pitts Special | |
| Maj. Stephen W. Pless |  |
(1939–1969) | 2012 | United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War who received the Medal of Honor | |
| Hazel Jane Raines |  |
(1916–1956) | 1989 | U.S. Army AIr Corp, World War II aviator, “Georgia’s First Lady in Flight”, a Georgia Woman of Achievement | |
| James H. Rhyne |  |
(1934–2001) | 2011 | Air America pilot | |
| Edward V. Rickenbacker |  |
(1890–1973) | 1999 | fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient; long associated with Eastern Air Lines which was based in Atlanta | |
| Carl E. Sanders |  |
(1925–2014) | 1997 | 74th Governor of the state of Georgia, who encouraged airport construction throughout the state | |
| Tye Carter Sanders |  |
(1895–1993) | 1991 | Early proponent of Atlanta's airport Candler Field, helped convince his friend William B. Hartsfield it was a good idea | |
| Robert L. Scott Jr. |  |
(1908–2006) | 1989 | U.S. Air Force, World War II aviator, author of "God Is My Co-Pilot” | |
| Lt. Col. Mack D. Secord |  |
(1932–) | 2014 | U.S. Air Force | |
| Lt. Col. Earnest A. Shelton |  |
(1917–2014) | 2009 | U.S. Army, World War II aviator, aviation instructor | |
| Lt. Col. Christofer B. Smisson |  |
(1948–2003) | 2006 | Delta Air Lines pilot who competed in aerobatics competitions | |
| Major General Perry McCoy Smith |  |
(1934–) | 2020 | U.S. Air Force Major General; Aviation and military commentary on TV | |
| Col. Robert H. Sprayberry |  |
(1928–2003) | 2005 | ||
| Guy Orlando Stone |  |
(1896–1980) | 1989 | World War I aviator | |
| Lance Paige Toland |  |
(1955–) | 2019 | Aviation insurance industry | |
| Norman Topshe |  |
(1914–2009) | 2019 | 52 year career with Delta Air Lines | |
| Adm. John H. Towers |  |
(1885–1955) | 2004 | United States Navy admiral and pioneer naval aviator | |
| Vice Adm. Richard H. Truly |  |
(1937–) | 1995 | United States Navy fighter pilot, former astronaut for both the United States Air Force and NASA, eighth NASA Administrator. He was the first former astronaut to head the space agency. | |
| Capt. Hilliard A. Wilbanks |  |
(1933–1967) | 2001 | Vietnam War pilot for United States Air Force, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor | |
| Col. Lynn "L.E." Witt Jr. |  |
(1916–2003) | 2010 | World War II aviator | |
| Collett Everman Woolman |  |
(1889–1966) | 1992 | Delta Air Lines co-founder | |
| Capt. John W. Young |  |
(1930 – 2018) | 2001 |
NASA astronaut, naval officer and aviator, test pilot. Ninth person to walk on the Moon during Apollo 16, commanded STS-1, STS-9. |
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Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.