International airshow Hall of Fame nominations open

Previous inductees included the Flying Aces, the French Connection, Bessie Coleman, Patty Wagstaff, Paul and Tom Poberezny, announcer Sonny Everett, and many others.

The International Council of Air Shows Foundation, the council’s funding arm, inducts up to three airshow personalities into the hall each year. There are currently 61 inductees in the foundation’s Hall of Fame including pilots, performers, announcers, designers, and airshow innovators.

Nominations to the Hall of Fame class are open to any person or organization and may be submitted until June 15; any airshow enthusiast may submit a nomination using the online nominating petition. The only requirement is that nominees must have made a significant impact upon the airshow industry.

An April 19 news release announcing the opening of nominations stated that an airshow nominee’s contribution “must be demonstrated through showmanship, performance or innovation, and may encompass a single accomplishment or a body of work.”

Dale Drumright, chair of the ICAS Foundation Hall of Fame Committee, wrote that past inductees “paved the way to greatness that the air show industry is today." He added that airshow performers in the recent past “have continued the progress to make air shows one of the safest, most innovative, and awe-inspiring community events in the world. These are the pioneers that have been and should be inducted into the prestigious ICAS Foundation Air Show Hall of Fame.”

Inductions are scheduled for December during the council’s annual convention in Las Vegas.