The Florida Aviation Hall of Fame was originally conceived and proposed by the Jacksonville Chapter of FAHS in the late 1990's. The late Admiral John Ingle, Jr. and members of the Society researched models from other states and the name was registered to FAHS with the State of Florida. Following a lengthy search of organizations and sites best-equipped to host our enterprise, the FAHS Board came to an agreement with the official Florida Air Museum at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, under the leadership of former NASA astronaut Greg Harbaugh. The inaugural induction ceremonies took place on 17 December 2003, which was the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother’s first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is comprised of aviation historians from around the State, who serve at the FAHS Board’s pleasure. Nominations (see procedure below) are voted on annually in November by the Selection Committee. Inductions take place at FAHS annual luncheons in St. Petersburg in February, and ceremonies follow at the Florida Air Museum during the annual Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In & Expo in April. NOMINATIONS Objective: To recognize and enshrine the names of individuals who have made significant contributions/achievements in civil or military aviation and/or aerospace. While there is no birth/residency requirement for nominees, Selection Committee special consideration will be given to individuals whose lives and careers involved some service in the State of Florida. Any active FAHS member may nominate individuals for the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame. These procedures must be followed completely or nominations will not be considered: 1. Obtain authorization from nominee, or family/next-of-kin if deceased, for the nomination. 2. Submit a dated letter with nominee biography and brief citations, to justify the nomination. 3. Submit several high-quality images of the nominee, suitable for enlargement. 4. Nominations will be voted on annually and set aside after five (5) years. 5. Nominations must be received not later than 1 October annually. Mail to: Ms. Terri Griner, FAHOF Chairman 451 8th Ave SE St. Petersburg, FL 33701 On behalf of the Florida Aviation Historical Society Board of directors and the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame Selection Committee we proudly announce the nominees for the 2020 Florida Aviation Hall of Fame: Col. Joseph Kinego USAF, Gladys “Penny” Thompson, Jessie Woods and Laurie Yonge. Please join us in recognizing these nominees by planning to attend during Sun'n Fun week, 2022. The inductees will be honored at the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame site inside the Lakeland Museum. |