Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame facts for kids
The Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame is a special place that honors amazing people and groups from Colorado who have done great things in aviation. It was started by the Colorado Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) in Denver, Colorado, on November 11, 1969.
The Hall of Fame is part of the Society's Heritage Hall, which you can find inside the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver. It's a place where you can learn about the history of flight in Colorado!
When the Hall of Fame first started, it mainly honored people who had done their pioneering work before November 11, 1918. Later, this date was changed to 1935, and then it was removed completely. This means that now, people from any time period can be recognized for their important contributions to aviation.
Contents
What is Aviation Pioneering?
"Aviation pioneering" means being one of the first or most important people to develop new things in flying. This includes:
- Building airports
- Setting up air mail routes (delivering mail by plane)
- Creating places to teach people how to fly
- Developing ways to manage flights and create maps for pilots
- Making and fixing airplanes and spacecraft
- Tracking and predicting weather for flights
- Teaching and educating others about aviation
- Making advancements in aviation businesses
- Achieving great things in military aviation
These are just some of the exciting challenges that Colorado aviators and aviation businesses have taken on!
In its first 25 years, the Hall of Fame honored over 160 Coloradans and organizations for their incredible work.
Honoring Southern Colorado Pioneers
The Colorado Aviation Historical Society has a special exhibit that highlights the history of Hall of Fame members from Southern Colorado. This exhibit includes photos and stories about their lives and achievements.
The First Honorees of 1969
When the Hall of Fame first opened in 1969, ten amazing aviation pioneers were inducted. These were:
- Ivy Baldwin
- Allan F. Bonnalie
- Ira Boyd "Bumps" Humphreys
- Albert E. Humphreys
- Will D. "Billy" Parker
- Chriss J. Peterson
- Reginald Sinclaire
- George W. Thompson
- Frank A. Van Dersarl
- Jerry Cox Vasconcells, a World War I Ace (a pilot who shot down many enemy planes)
You can find a complete list of all the people who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame by visiting the Colorado Aviation Historical Society's website.
See also
- North American aviation halls of fame
- National Aviation Hall of Fame
