DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — The National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony held in Ohio for decades is being moved to Fort Worth, for 2017.
“While the Board appreciates what Dayton has provided for Enshrinement, as a Congressionally-chartered national organization we are called to make our mission known to the rest of the United States,” said Chairman Bill Harris.
The Dayton Daily News (http://bit.ly/2hKScni ) reports the annual ceremony held in Dayton since it began in 1964 has drawn hundreds of people to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in recent years.
The Hall of Fame’s executive director says moving the event allows the national organization to have its brand elsewhere to help with fundraising.
Hall of Fame events have brought astronauts and Hollywood stars to Dayton, home to aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright and known as the birthplace of aviation.
The 55th Annual Enshrinement Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show taking place in Fort Worth, on Oct.28 – 29, 2017. The formal NAHF dinner and ceremony, widely known as America’s “Oscar Night of Aviation,” will see the Class of 2017 formally inducted on the evening of Saturday, October 28 at the Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
“We are thrilled that the board has chosen to make the most of the opportunity afforded to us by holding Enshrinement at Alliance,” said Enshrinement Chairman David Brixey. “The Fort Worth Alliance Air Show is a world-class event attended by over 120,000 people annually. To present our Enshrinement ceremony and the Hall of Fame’s story at such a premier aviation gathering is outstanding.”
According to, with the board decision now official, planning for the event begins in earnest. “What an exciting opportunity to honor our Enshrinees among over 100,000 fans of flight,” said NAHF Enshrinement Director Ron Kaplan. “We look forward to working with the very robust Texas aviation and aerospace communities as we now get planning up to full speed.”
The Enshrinee Class of 2017 is Major General Charles F Bolden, Jr., USMC (Ret); the late Commander Malcolm Scott Carpenter, USN; test pilot Robert J. Gilliland, and the late Sir Frank Whittle.
The NAHF is located within the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. – Additional reporting by FWBP Staff
www.nationalaviation.org/