Maj. John Wood, a World War I Air Corps veteran, helped establish what became the Wausau Downtown Airport. Wood founded Northern Airways to run the airport, sell Waco airplanes and provide flight instruction.
The Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame will induct Jean Hauser, Robert Stuckey, Richard and Bobbie Wagner, Orland Corben and John L. Wood on Oct. 25, at its 23rd annual investiture ceremony. They’ll be honored for their achievements and contributions to aviation in Wisconsin. Stuckey, Corben and Wood are being honored posthumously.
Jean Hauser was born and raised in Hartford, Wis. She began flying in 1963, earned her pilot private certificate in 1965 and purchased a Cessna 172 in 1967. She flew ferrying service flights for Hartford airport management, accumulating nearly 1,400 hours. What’s more remarkable is that she became Wisconsin’s first deaf pilot. She sold her Cessna in 1985, but remains active in aviation today. She’s a member of the Deaf Pilots Association, traveling throughout the country to volunteer at its annual membership fly-in. She inspires adults and children by visiting schools for the deaf and describing her flight experiences.
Robert Stuckey, who died in 1980, was a World War II Marine aviator from 1943-1946, and served in the Marine Corps Reserves through the 1950s. When he returned to the La Crosse area after the war, he was a flight instructor and pilot examiner. He logged more than 6,000 hours of dual instruction. He served as a corporate pilot for Dairyland Power from 1950-1972, flying executives and line patrols. He logged time in a reported 280 aircraft.
Richard Wagner became a licensed pilot at the age of 16 in the mid 1950s. He and his wife, Bobbie, founded Wag-Aero in their basement in 1965. The Lyons, Wis.-based business gave their mail order catalog to customers at no charge, which was unusual for the times. By 1995, they had more than 95,000 customers. The Wagners are known for their kit packages for aircraft homebuilders, including the Sport Trainer, Wag-A-Bond and Sportsman 2 + 2.
Wisconsin’s first deaf pilot, Jean Hauser travels throughout the country for the Deaf Pilots Assoc., volunteering at its annual membership fly-in. She inspires adults and children by visiting schools for the deaf and describing her flight experiences.
Orland Corben and John Wood will be inducted in the pioneer category, for those who made aviation achievements before 1927. Corben was a stunt pilot and circus performer. In 1931, he arrived at the failing North Street Airport in Madison, Wis., hoping to revive it by bringing plans and parts of Ace Aircraft with him. He set up shop and built Corben Baby Ace, Junior Ace and Super Ace airplanes.
Maj. John Wood was a World War I Air Corps veteran. He helped establish what became the Wausau Downtown Airport. Wood founded Northern Airways to run the airport, sell Waco airplanes and provide flight instruction. He participated in the Ford Air Tours in 1926-1928, and his success brought the air tour to Wausau in 1928. He died in a plane crash in 1929.
The inductees will be enshrined at a ceremony at the EAA AirVenture Museum’s Eagle Hangar in Oshkosh.
The Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame was organized in 1985; since then, more than 75 men and women have been inducted. The organization’s mission is to collect and preserve the history of aviation in Wisconsin, recognize those who made that history, inform others of it and promote aviation education to future generations.
To learn more about the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame, visit [http://www.aviationhalloffamewisconsin.com]. To inquire about tickets, call Keith Glasshof at 715-832-6379, Michael Goc at 608-339-7191, or email newpast@maqs.net.