26th Annual Banquet to Honor Pilots With Accolades and Fellowship
A special evening in the history of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame (DAHF) will be held on Sunday, November 15th, with a return to the Hockessin Memorial Hall in Hockessin, Delaware. The center of attraction—five of the First State’s most distinguished people of aviation, plus a Youth Aviation Achievement Award winner— will be honored with decorations and ovations, all within the Event Center with its colorful table decor, tastefully prepared dinner, and helpful serving staff.
Hangar Flyin’ and Cocktails
The evening will start off at 4:00pm with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception in the main hall.
The venue offers an opportunity for aviation people to meet and catch up on “what’s new” and to greet the honorees.
Photos, reproduction prints and other displays will be exhibited around the Hall. A continuous video gallery of DAHF inductees and aviation aircraft will be projected on a screen in the hall. Plus, memorabilia will be on display at each of the 2026 Inductees' tables.
Ceremony
Master of Ceremonies' Molly Chorman will officiate the ceremony by calling on the bagpiper to lead the procession of inductees and their wingmen into the hall. The Delaware Air National Guard Cadet Squadron Color Guard opens the ceremony with the posting of the colors, followed by the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner".
Presentation of Inductees:
To commence the ceremonies, the 2026 Youth Aviation Achievement will be introduced and presented his certificate. Then the 2026 honorees and their “wingmen" will be called individually, in alphabetical order, to the platform. (Following their selection, each inductee was assigned a member of the DAHF board to serve as his/her liaison. Fittingly, they dubbed themselves “wingmen"). At the conclusion of each of their introductions, President Mark Stephenson will present each inductee with a plaque and ribboned medallion in honor of their induction to the Hall of Fame.
A basket raffle will be held with a variety of specially designed baskets and prizes awarded to the winners.
The Program
Following dinner, President Mark Stephenson will welcome everyone and hand the program over to MC Molly Chorman.The Program
