International Air & Space Hall of Fame Celebrates Honorees

Nine inductees were honored at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Credit: San Diego Air & Space Museum

The International Air & Space Hall of Fame recognized a wide range of people, companies, and organizations during its annual ceremony on Saturday. The honor roll is sponsored by the San Diego Air & Space Museum in California.

“The International Air & Space Hall of Fame represents those elite leaders and organizations, which have made lasting contributions regarding aviation and space; and who will be remembered as visionaries and risk-takers, pioneers unwilling to live with the status quo knowing there can be better and more innovative solutions to even the most complex challenges,” said James G. Kidrick, San Diego Air & Space Museum president and chief executive officer.

The 2021 inductees include:

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen
Space Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins
Astronaut Charlie Duke
Federal Express (company founder and CEO Fred Smith accepted the award)
Former president and executive vice president of the Aerospace Group General Dynamics Corp. Bryan Moss
Dee O’Hara, the first aerospace nurse assigned to NASA’s first seven astronauts
The Commemorative Air Force

“It is an enormous privilege to be part of the aviation community, and to be inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame is an honor beyond description,” Bolen said in response to his inclusion on the 2021 honor roll.

Last year, the organization honored Barbara Barrett, an American business person, attorney, and diplomat, and Tammie Jo Shults, retired airline pilot and one of the first women fighter pilots for the U.S. Navy.

Shults is also famous for leading the crew that successfully handled an uncontained engine failure on a Southwest flight in 2018.

How to Visit the Museum

The San Diego Air & Space Museum sits in Balboa Park in central San Diego. It’s open seven days a week, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Awards Ed Bolen hall of fame NBAA San Diego Air & Space Museum Tammie Jo Shults

Julie BoatmanContributor

Based in Maryland, Julie Boatman is an aviation educator and author. She holds an airline transport pilot certificate with Douglas DC-3 and CE510 (Citation Mustang) type ratings. She's a CFI/CFII since 1993, specializing in advanced aircraft and flight instructor development.