Inductees to Date
Forty-nine persons (19 posthumously) have been inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame since first induction in 2000. Six more will be inducted on October 4, 2008.
In addition, the DAHF has conferred the Delaware Youth Aviation Achievement Award upon seven young persons who aspire to a career with wings.
Inaugural year 2000:
Giuseppe M. Bellanca (1886-1960), designer
and builder of some 300 planes in New Castle during the years
1928-1956.
Janet I. Churchill, New Castle, leader in numerous
pilot organizations, airshow pilot, author and lecturer on aviation.
Floyd
H. L. Durham, Dover, builder and for 46 years operator of Delaware
Airpark at Cheswold.
George P. Durney, Dover (1923-1998), creator
of apparel fabrics for space flight and designer of the Apollo
astronauts’ moon suits.
Gen. Richard H. Ellis, Laurel (1919-1989),
commander-in-chief of the Strategic Air Command.
Anne C. Eriksen,
Newark, founder of the Delaware chapter of the 99s international
organization of women pilots, and creator of aviation scholarships
for young people.
Col. (Ret.) James R. Sulpizi, New Castle, “father
of aviation” in
the Delaware Army National Guard and Delaware’s first State Army Aviation
Officer.
Year 2001:
Henry Belin du Pont (1898-1970), founder of Atlantic
Aviation.
Walter C. Evans, Sr. (1932-2000), Dover, founder and
president of the First State chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Ethel
Meyer Finley (1921 - 2006) , Rehoboth Beach, World War II Women’s Air
Service Pilot (WASP).
Reynolds L. Jones, builder/operator of Smyrna
Airport.
James R. Leech, curator, Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover Air
Force Base.
John McChesney Morgan (1915-1981), Wilmington, aviation
pioneer and chief pilot of an Air Transport Command Pacific operation
in World War II.
George S. Welch (1918-1954), Wilmington, America’s
first air hero in World War II (Pearl Harbor) and triple ace
in the Pacific.
Year 2002:
Richard C. du Pont, Sr. (1911-1943), designer of gliders,
pioneer of rural airmail service, founder of the forerunner of
US Airways.
Edmond I. (Eddie) Edwards, Middletown, Delaware CAP
and Navy patrol pilot in World War II, decorated by President
Franklin Roosevelt.
Frank R. (Mike) Guididas (1912 - 2005), Kennett Square,
Pa., WW II factory test pilot, first director of DuPont Aviation,
more than 25,000 flight hours—accident-free.
Hugh R. Sharp,
Jr. (1909-1990), World War II operations commander-Delaware CAP,
ATC pilot, decorated by President Roosevelt.
Brig. Gen. (Ret.)
William W. Spruance, pilot on 362 transport missions in World
War II, “father” of the Delaware Air National Guard.
Lt.
Col. Ralph P. Thompson (1914-2002), Georgetown, co-pilot of
lead
B-24 on daring low-level raid of strategic Nazi oilworks at
Ploesti, Romania.
Year 2003:
Wayne C. (Pappy) Brubaker (1915-1993), airplane mechanic,
fixed-base operator, “the
most loved airplane mechanic in lower Delaware.“
John G. Hite, service
manager at Atlantic Aviation, Wilmington; safety consultant to government
and industry.
Joseph C. Jenkins, World War II fighter and bomber
pilot, builder/operator of Jenkins Airport at Wyoming, Del.
Louisa
Spruance Morse, commander-Delaware CAP for 23 years, member
CAP National Executive committee.
John J. Strusowski, WW II bomber
pilot, pilot on U.S. World Famine Relief Survey.
George R. (Bobby)
Veazey, Sr., jet fighter pilot in Korean war, designer of
arresting gear and aerial recovery systems.
Year 2004:
Lt. Gen. (Ret) Clarence E. (Ed)
Atkinson, former Delaware Adjutant Attorney General.
David G.
Clark, past commander of Delaware State Police Aviation.
J. Allison
Buck (1897-1933), Delaware’s first licensed pilot,
teacher of many of the First State’s famous airmen.
Richard C. (Kip) du Pont,
Jr. (1937-1986), builder of Summit Aviation.
Ulysses S. (Sam) Nero (1898-1980), “father of precision bombing.”
Lt.
Col. Susan Rogers Regele (1950-1952), flying nurse, first Air Force class
of female pilots.
Year 2005:
Joseph A. Barkley, Jr. (1923-2005), Navy dive-bomber pilot in
World War II, test pilot for proving mid-air recovery systems
of All American Engineering Co.
Rayvon Burleson (1920-2003), 30-year
Air Force career, Delaware’s first
aeronautics administrator.
Wallace B. McCafferty (1918-1987), pilot in World War
II, Korea and Vietnam, flew 120 combat missions.
Ralph L. Minker,
Jr., youngest pilot in his bomber group, flew 37 missions in
B-17 he named “Blue Hen Chick.”
Linda Morelli, first
female pilot and first airborne-qualified woman in the Delaware
National Guard, accumulated more than 5,000 helicopter hours.
J.
Byrton D. Winder, flew 23,000 accident-free hours, including
96 missions over the Himalayan “Hump” in World War
II and 29 years with Atlantic Aviation.
Year 2006:
Marilyn M. Alderman, a founding director of Delaware Aviation Support, Inc. and Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, past Mid-Atlantic section governor of the Ninety-Nines.
Michael D. Brock, pilot of 283 helicopter combat sorties in Vietnam, acclaimed professional artist, proprietor of Hardcastle's Newark, Inc., fine-arts gallery, creating collection of 40 paintings on aviation history.
A. Felix duPont, Jr. (1905-1996), pioneer pilot, Air Transport Command officer and combat instructor in World War II, financier and builder of aviation enterprises.
Louis W. Prost, commander of anti-submarine Navy airships in WW II, past president of U.S. Navy Airship Association.
Robert P. Sheaffer, pilot on three carriers in WW II, flew seven aircraft types.
Brig. Gen. (Ret) Ronald B. Stewart, assault helicopter pilot in Vietnam, assistant adjutant general, Delaware Army National Guard (retired February 2006).
Year 2007:
Virginia "Scotty" Bradley Gough, grew up chasing a daring pair of dreams: to fly and to parachute jump. She became on of 1,074 women in the Women Airforce Service Pilots organization (WASP) in February 1944. She will be 85 on October 28. How would she like to celebrate the occasion? "With a parachute jump."
William F. Hutchinson (Brig.Gen.Ret.),served in the Delaware Air National Guard (DANG) for more than three decases and flew combat in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was air commander of DANG from 1972 through 1983.
Elinor Patricia Smith, was a teen sensation. At 15 she was the youngest female in the world to fly solo. That was 1926. In 1927 she became the youngest licensed pilot on record. Her pilot's license is signed by Orville Wright.
Douglas W. Thompson, of Dover flew combat in three wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He also figured in the space program that took us to the moon. In 1964, after 22 years, he retired from the Air Force. He had qualified in 22 aircraft types and was a certified instructor in nine.
Col. Carol Anne Timmons, is the perfect model for young women who want a dream fullfilled. Since childhood, Carol wanted to fly jets. Following graduation from William Penn High School in 1976, she enrolled in college and enlisted in the Delaware National Guard. She is the first female pilot to fly the DANG C-130s. She flew in support of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and in 2003 was activated for "Operation Iraqi Freedom."
Year 2008:
Willis Lloyd Carter, of Milford flew 30 B-17 missions in World War II, mostly deep into Germany under fierce Luftwaffe attack and anti-aircraft fire. Because of outstanding bombing scores on their first seven missions, the Carter crew was selected to fly as a group leader on the rest of their flights. Lt. Carter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters (for “courage and skill” during several bombing attacks), the European Theater Medal with four battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Theodore P. Crichton, of Wilmington served in the U.S. armed forces for 36 years and worked for 20 years in private industry. He was an Air Force pilot, staff officer and operational unit commander, serving as a squadron commander, wing commander, and air division commander. He served as vice commander of the 21st Air Force.
Alfred F. Johnson Jr., was born and bred a potato farmer. He started life in 1933 on Long Island N.Y., where he learned to fly at a young age. In 1952 his family moved to magnolia, Del. Al’s job was operating ground sprayers on the Johnson-Anderson potato farm. Al’s passion for flying led him to explore ways to use his wings to improve production and economics of farming.
Michael D. Leister, one-time C-5 Galaxy crew chief, had a dream whose realization blossomed into one of the First State’s leading tourist attractions. His idea: Restore the most historically significant World War II B-17 in existence and display it at a major museum. Mike’s work is widely recognized. He has been named the Military Airlift Command Civilian of the Year and Air Force Reserve Crew Chief of the Year. Community recognitions include Kent County Tourism Person of the Year and Southern Delaware Chamber of Commerce of Outstanding Individual of the Year.
Norman H. Runge, (1934-2006) of Bear gave the last 50 years of his life to aviation - both civil and military, in the air and on the ground. Among his many awards were the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Award. In 1987 Colonel Runge hung up his uniform and became Professor Runge and later Dr. Runge. He joined Wilmington University to head the aviation program. Ever the aviation activist, Col. Runge served on the board of the Delaware Pilots Association, was president of the Brig. Gen. William Spruance chapter of the Air Force Association, and was a trustee of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame from 2003 until 2006.
William C. Voigt, of Dover fell hopelessly in love with airplanes. At age seven, in 1927 when Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, the lad declared his intention: to become a pilot like “Lindy.” He fulfilled his dream many times over and today at eighty-seven continues his romance with wings. As a charter member of the Dover Air Force Base Airlift Museum volunteer corps, Major Voigt has devoted hundreds of hours annually to aircraft restoration.
Youth Aviation Achievment Award Recipients:
2001 Glenn B. Pusey III
2002 Philip G. Harris
2003 Philipp E Coffin
2004 Joseph G. Gilliland
2005 Christopher A. Kohler
2006 Walter "Lee" Vanaman
2007 Michael Shaw
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