|
History of the “Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame” By Jon The Hall of Fame had a humble beginning.
Rob Hurst, of the Air Force Association, and Ed Clark, a former employee of
the NE Department of Aeronautics and PIREPS editor, took it upon themselves
to get the Hall started. On their own time, and using their personal
resources, they presented their idea to the aviation community. They were
pleasantly surprised at the positive response. Nominations were received, and
a selection process was established. The Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame was
born! As the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame
began to take shape, it was clear that initially, it would have a very modest
existence. No plans were made to establish a permanent home for the Hall.
Members of the selection committee would be asked to volunteer their time,
and no fees would be assessed for submitting a nomination. That first year saw 11 inducted into the
Hall. The list of inductees has grown steadily since then. In 1993, Hurst and
Clark developed a mobile display, which included photos and textual
information concerning each of the inductees. Approximately 25,000 people
viewed the exhibition when it first appeared at the In order to be considered for induction
into the NE Aviation Hall of Fame, a person must be nominated. Nominees from
all walks of life are welcome. Educators, FBO operators, military pilots,
designers and manufacturers, spray pilots, airport administrators and
managers, etc; each one is considered. The nominee’s achievements may have
been accomplished worldwide, nationally, or within the state of NE. The
nominee must be a native born Nebraskan, living or not, or one who has
performed a significant portion of their achievement while being a resident of
the state. Anyone wishing to make a nomination may
do so on a form that is available at the Department
of Aeronautics web site at www.aero.state.ne.us
under the left side topic of Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame
nomination form or click here.
Induction takes place on an annual basis, and no specific quota is set for
each year’s class. Nominees not selected are reconsidered the next year, and
may be renominated at any time. Five people serve on the Selection
Board, with one of them serving as Chairperson. Sandi Decker of Those selected for induction are honored
with a plaque recognizing their achievements. Their names and a record of
their achievements are also permanently put on file at the NE State
Historical Society. It has become tradition for an awards ceremony to be held
on an annual basis in conjunction with the NE Aviation Council’s Symposium
banquet held during the last week of January each year. Anyone interested in donating
funds to sustain the Nebraska Aviation Hall may contact Sandi Decker at
402-729-2250. The NE Aviation Hall of fame is chartered as a
nonprofit, charitable organization. “How to Use” “Click Here to visit the
Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame” The inductee’s are listed in alphabetical
order with the year of their induction shown in the right column. Individual
pictures are included where available. This site maintained by: Bob
Richter, Engineer NDA Links
to other Hall of Fame sites* *NOTE: This website contains
links to sites which are not maintained by or under the control of the State
of State of Nebraska Home Page | State of Nebraska Privacy &
Security Policy |