Henderson, Nev. - A select group of Nevada aviators and aerospace pioneers were honored Friday, October 14, 2011 at the Henderson Executive Airport during the second annual Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner. This year the NVAHOF was honored to be joined by
SSgt. Woford, Nellis Air Force Base's Outstanding NCO, and A1C Bygraves, Nellis AFB's Outstanding Airman.
Rich in aviation history, the ‘Silver State’ boasts pioneers like William M. (Bill) Stead. Stead was selected for his contributions in the field of air racing and for founding the National Champion Air Races in Reno, Nevada. He had always dreamed of bringing a national air race to Nevada. In 1962 the first race was held at Sky Ranch airport in northern Nevada. In 1966 the U.S. Air Force’s Stead Field was closed and the races were moved there to utilize the hangers, ramps, and hard surface runways. Stead Field was named after Bill’s younger brother Croston, a WW II and Nevada Air National Guard pilot, who died in a crash on December 11, 1949. The National Champion Air Races have been held there every year with the exception of 2011.
JT3 sponsored a table for the event in support of their President, Brig. General Charles “Pete” Winters, USAF (Ret). Winters is a test pilot who also served as the Vice Commander of Area 51 in Nevada. For his achievements in the development and testing of advanced military programs, he has been selected as an inductee for 2011. One of the programs he worked on was the F-117A ‘Nighthawk’ which transitioned from prototype phase to initial operational capability in less than five years.
Jane A. Miller is a pioneer in the development of flight nurse standards and practices for use in pre-hospital and emergency nursing during aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations. She served in Nevada as the Chief Flight Nurse for the Washoe Medical Center based “Life Flight” program operating in the remote areas of northern Nevada and northeastern California. In 1981, the program was renamed “Care Flight” and run as a joint venture between three local hospitals.
Other 2011 Inductees are: William A. Ivy, selected for piloting the first flight over the state of Nevada (1910); Senator Patrick A. McCarran for submitting the first bill for separate Air Force and multiple bills forming regulatory structures for the aviation industry; Walter T. Varney established the first commercial airmail route in Nevada; Florence J. Murphy was a commercial pilot and Bonanza Airlines executive; George E. Crockett, the Founder of Alamo Airfield and Alamo Airways.
About the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame
The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame is a non-profit, educational foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy of the men and women who pioneered aerospace within the State of Nevada. The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame established and maintains an ongoing means of honoring individuals who have contributed in a significant manner, to the development, advancement, and promotion of aerospace in the Battle Born State of Nevada, or elsewhere. NVAHOF also honors individuals who were not native to Nevada, but whose careers enhanced the aerospace climate worldwide as well as in space. The mission of NVAHOF is unique as it especially recognizes and honors the men and women of the Cold War who worked within the CIA, USAF, and civilians, who worked in secrecy at Groom Lake, the Nevada Test Site, the NASA High Range, Tonopah Test Range, Nellis AFB, Creech AFB, the Fallon Air Station, Stead AFB, and related sites in the state of Nevada.
The goal is to foster, promote, and encourage a better sense of appreciation by the public of those persons’ contributions and the role of aerospace, and to perpetuate the memory of those honored by means of public displays and announcements.
Except in cases involving national security concerns, archival materials collected in the course of researching the above mentioned individuals, will be filed for future historical reference. Exceptional and responsible consideration will be given to selection of nominees without compromising the secrecy of their deeds and accomplishments.
The primary educational objectives of the NVAHOF focus on honoring the past while promoting the future of aviation. NVAHOF provides a state-wide Speakers Bureau for outreach within the community. They have also created an accessible archive of Nevada aviation history on the organizations website. An on-line virtual museum and artifact archive/storage satisfies the final educational objective, while the NVAHOF searches for a permanent home for is collection. The uniqueness and diversity of Nevada’s aviation projects make it the most important state in the nation in regards to cutting-edge aerospace technology and development.
NVAHOF public outreach and educational activities for the past year included: promotional presence at the Reno Air Races and the Nellis Air Force Base Open House, and Naval Air Station, Fallon. NVAHOF also participated in the reunion of the Atomic Curtiss Marines and meetings of the Daedalians Fighter Flight #62 at Nellis AFB. In September 2010 the NVAHOF organized and participated in a 10-day, Oxcart Legacy Tour in Washington, D.C. Former workers of Nevada's Groom Lake facility gave presentations at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum, the Capitol Hill Club, and the International Spy Museum. On September 23rd, 2011 NVAHOF participated in an educational tour of Bigelow Aerospace in North Las Vegas.
For more information visit: www.nvahof.org
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