The Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame Class of 2021 inductees will join a Noblesville test pilot and world record holder, who was inducted in 2020.
Included in the distinguished 2020 class are air racers, flight instructors, a World War II combat veteran and a pioneering WASP, along with J. George Mikelsons, the Founder and Chairman of ATA Airlines, and Daniel C. Orcutt, the Director and vision behind the development of the Indianapolis International Airport.
“These outstanding individuals have made significant and enduring contributions to the history of aviation and aerospace in Indiana, the nation, or the world through achievement, leadership, exceptional service, innovation, or entrepreneurial spirit,” Hall of Fame officials noted.
Here is the complete list of 2021 Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame Honorees:
- George Mikelsons, pilot, founder and chairman of ATA Airlines
- Clarence Cornish, veteran, air racer, aerobatic pilot and the Oldest Active Pilot from 1997-2003
- Daniel Orcutt, director and visionary developer of the Indianapolis International Airport
- M. “Mitch” Grundman, flight instructor, Purdue professor and 40-year FAA pilot examiner
- Charles Debow, pioneering Tuskegee Airman, World War II combat veteran and educator
- Margaret Ringenberg, World War II Women’s Airforce Service Pilot (WASP), air racer, flight instructor, 40,000-hour pilot
- Charles Holleman, pilot, Purdue professor, Chairman of the Professional Pilot Program
- Gordon Graham, pilot, broadcaster, and promoter of general aviation in Indiana
The honorees will be inducted at the Hall of Fame Honors Banquet on Oct. 1, 2021, at the Ritz Charles in Carmel.
Their induction and membership will be commemorated with a permanent Indiana Aviation Hall of Hall of Fame display plaque, along with a personal medallion and award to the Honoree.
The Honorees will join the Legacy Class of distinguished aviators, pioneers, entrepreneurs, and industrialists inducted in 2020, including Noblesville native William “Pete” Knight, U.S. Air Force veteran, test pilot, and world speed record holder.
- Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Bedford native, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronaut, test pilot
- Wilbur Wright, pioneer of flight, visionary, and inventor
- Collett “C.E.” Woolman, Bloomington native and founder and chairman of Delta Airlines
- James Allison, aviation engine manufacturer and industrialist
- Harvey Weir Cook, World War I ace, World War II veteran, and aviation pioneer
- Frank Borman, U.S. Air Force veteran, Gemini and Apollo astronaut and airline executive
- Lawrence Bell, helicopter development pioneer, industrialist, and manufacturer
- Edwin Link, developer and pioneer in flight training devices and flight simulators
- Abe Silverstein, visionary NASA engineer and space program director
- Roscoe Turner, aviation pioneer, showman, Thompson Trophy winner, businessman
Information on the honorees and the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame can be found at INAHOF.org.