National Aviation Hall of Fame to Honor 2015 Inductees

Sept. 23, 2015

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) will host its 2015 enshrinement ceremony at its Dayton, OH headquarters on Oct. 2, and unveil its 2016 class of honorees during NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015), Nov. 17 to 19 in Las Vegas, NV.

Two of the four 2015 inductees have NBAA ties. The late Robert N. Hartzell, inspired by neighbor Orville Wright to explore propeller manufacturing, became a pioneer in propeller development and helped spur the general aviation industry’s growth. Hartzell Propeller, an NBAA Associate Member for decades and a regular exhibitor at the Association’s annual convention, provides equipment for many of the business airplanes in operation worldwide.

Also being honored as part of NAHF’s Class of 2015 is Eugene “Gene” Kranz, the legendary NASA director of mission operations. Kranz was a featured speaker at NBAA’s 2006 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, and participated in NBAA’s 2013 convention.

Hartzell and Kranz join retired Brig. General Robert L. Cardenas, USAF, an accomplished test pilot and USAF commander, and the late Abe Silverstein, NASA’s first director of office of space flight programs, in NAHF’s 2015 class. The four will join 225 aviation pioneers inducted into NAHF since its founding in 1962.

On Nov. 18, NAHF will unveil its 2016 enshrinee class during the second-day Opening General Session at NBAA’s convention. NAHF, a non-profit organization, has been presenting its annual Combs Gates award during NBAA’s convention since 2003, but this year marks the first time that the next NAHF class will be revealed during the convention.

“With NBAA’s convention being scheduled later than usual this year, we realized that our election process would be completed in time to announce the incoming class at this year’s show,” said Ron Kaplan, NAHF’s enshrinement director. “It’s such an ideal and prominent venue that we opted to make this much-anticipated announcement of our 2016 honorees there.”

NAHF also will host a pre-convention VIP reception on Nov. 16 in Las Vegas.