Maj. James R. Stegall flew the L-4 Grasshopper in WWII and the Korean War as an artillery observer. He recently had the chance to reacquaint himself with the aircraft type at a reunion in La Grange, Texas.
The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame will honor three new inductees at the 9th Annual Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Gala on Saturday, November 10. The three aviators who will be recognized are Dr. William E. Bussey, Pauline Glasson and Maj. James R. Stegall.
Dr. William E. Bussey
Dr. Bussey, a renowned hot-air balloon pilot, holds 14 world records and 30 U.S. national records for distance and duration in balloons of various sizes. He’s won 35 major balloon competitions and is a founding member and director of the North American Ballooning Association. Bussey is the recipient of many prestigious honors for balloonists including the Montgolfier Diploma and the Shields-Trauger Award.
Pauline Glasson
Pauline Glasson soloed in a seaplane in 1934. During her 67-year flying career, she accumulated more than 60,000 hours of flight time, primarily as a flight instructor.
A fixture of Corpus Christi aviation since 1941, Glasson is known for her passion for teaching. She’s a founding member of the Women’s Air Race Classic and continues to serve the race in various capacities. An early member of the Ninety-Nines, Glasson earned an impressive variety of FAA ratings and has flown as a test pilot, crop-duster, sky writer and air ambulance pilot.
Maj. James R. Stegall
Maj. James R. Stegall flew the L-4 Grasshopper in WWII and the Korean War as an artillery observer. His first combat experience began on the beaches of Salerno, Italy, and continued into the Liri Valley where he earned his first Silver Star after an encounter with a German Me-109.
In Korea, he fought with the 7th Division from Inchon to Iwon and participated in the push to the Yalu River. He then retreated to Hamhung where he flew missions out of the Chosin Reservoir before crash-landing near Koto-ri. During his military service, he earned the Silver Star with cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with cluster, the Air Medal with 25 clusters, the Army Commendation Ribbon and a host of other service medals and citations.
The Hall of Fame
The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame is located on Galveston’s west end adjacent to Moody Gardens and the Schlitterbahn Waterpark at Galveston International Airport. It honors Texans and Texas corporations that have made outstanding contributions to the development, growth or preservation of aviation. It’s also known as one of the country’s leading museums of its type.
The exhibits in the Hall of Fame utilize personal artifacts, books, models, awards and other memorabilia to accurately portray each inductee’s contributions, experiences and passion for aviation.
Fly Day
The Class of 2007 will also be recognized on November 11 at the Lone Star Flight Museum’s end-of-season Fly Day. This informal flying event will feature historic aircraft from the Lone Star Flight Museum’s collection and other aircraft from the local area. Gates open at 9:00 a.m., with flying scheduled from noon to 3:00 p.m. Throughout the day, visitors will be able to tour the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and view exhibits honoring the new inductees. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and children aged 5-17. Children under 5 are free.
An exciting opportunity at Fly Day centers on the Lone Star Flight Museum’s new flight experience program. The museum is now offering flights in its B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell and newly acquired PT-17 Stearman.
For Induction Gala and Fly Day ticket information, call 888-FLY-LSFM (359-5736) or visit [http://www.lsfm.org].