The Santa Monica based Museum of Flying, which will host the Inaugural Induction Ceremony and Dinner for the California Aviation Hall of Fame on June 7, announced on May 22 tickets will be made available for purchase until May 28. The event will be held at the Museum of Flying with the reception at 6:00 pm and the dinner and program to follow beginning at 7:00 pm.
Established as a subsidiary of the Museum, the Hall will induct Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Bob Hoover, Clay Lacy, and Frank Robinson as inaugural members. Dr. Aldrin is a NASA Astronaut and a member of the Apollo 11 crew that made the first successful lunar landing; Bob Hoover is a legendary World War II fighter pilot, air race competitor, and revered air show performer; Clay Lacy is one of the highest time pilots in the world, a former air race competitor, and the operator of one of the first private jet charter businesses in the United States; and Frank Robinson is the founder and designer of Robinson Helicopters, the largest manufacturer of civilian helicopters in the world.
In addition to the inaugural inductees, the Hall of Fame will recognize 19 “legacy” inductees who shaped the growth of the aviation industry in California. They are J. Leland Atwood, Jackie Cochran, Glenn Curtis, Jimmy Doolittle, Donald Wills Douglas, Amelia Earhart, Ed Heinemann, Howard Hughes, Kelly Johnson, Dutch Kindelberger, Roy Knabenshue, Alan and Malcolm Loughead, Paul MacCready, Jack Northrop, Arthur Raymond, Ben Rich, Claude Ryan, and Theodore von Karman.
The event will be a fundraiser for the Museum of Flying. Tickets are $350 per person and a major portion of the ticket purchase is tax deductible. Tickets can be purchased on-line on the Museum of Flying website www.museumofflying.com or in person at the Museum on a first-come first-served basis. Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting the Museum of Flying.
The Museum of Flying, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established the California Aviation Hall of Fame to commemorate, preserve, and educate the public on the important role that individuals played in the birth and growth of aviation and aerospace in California.
