By Di Freeze
Sean D. Tucker greets family and friends as he takes the stage to be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
I wasn’t able to attend the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s annual induction ceremony this year, but, nevertheless, I was excited for the inductees. This year, four men were enshrined within the Hall of Fame: Sean D. Tucker, Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, Herbert D. Kelleher and William A. Moffett.
Mike Ullery, present with his camera at all NAHF functions, provided our coverage of the event this year, which begins on page 34. I was pleasantly surprised when the pictures he submitted included air shots of Sean Tucker’s Oracle Challenger, flying with Old Crow, painted in tribute to Bud Anderson. You’ll find one of those photographs on our cover. Ron Kaplan, executive director of the NAHF, also supplied us with various photos, giving us a complete picture of the evening, as well as associated weekend events.
If you’re not familiar with the names, William A. Moffett is known as the “father of naval aviation.” Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson, a World War II triple ace, is also a famed U.S. Air Force test pilot. Herbert D. Kelleher is the founder and retired chairman of Southwest Airlines. Last month, we began our biography on the fourth inductee, well-known aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker. You’ll find the conclusion of that story beginning on page 41. I want to thank Sean for taking the time to tell me his story, although, like he says, talking about himself isn’t one of his favorite things. He’d much rather be flying!
This month, we’ve combined our various local issues to give readers an idea of what’s going on around the nation. Included in the mix is a visit from the American Association of Aviation Artists to The Museum of Flight in Seattle; a tribute out of Denver to Metro State College professor Bob Mock; Karen Di Piazza’s insights into what’s going on at Eclipse, Hawker and Cirrus; and what’s new at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore.