Six trailblazers who made groundbreaking contributions to commercial and military aviation and aerospace have been named to the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s 2027 class.
The NAHF honorees were announced at the National Business Aviation Association’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition on Monday, Oct. 19, in Las Vegas, Nev.
Founded in 1962, the NAHF is considered the pinnacle of individual achievement in aviation and space exploration. The organization celebrates pioneers who have shaped the industry while inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps.
An induction ceremony for the 2027 class will take place Sept. 24, 2027, in Dayton, Ohio.
“The National Aviation Hall of Fame is honored to announce the class of 2027,” Aimee Maruyama, president and CEO of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “Each year, we recognize inductees whose achievements have shaped history and continue to inspire future generations.”
Over the years, there have been 283 notable individuals enshrined by the NAHF. The organization remains the only Congressionally chartered aviation hall of fame in the U.S. The inductees are chosen by a distinguished panel of aviation professionals from across the country who serve on the NAHF Board of Nominations.
“From the entrepreneurial vision that advanced model rocketry and commercial air travel to the engineering breakthroughs that carried us to new frontiers in aviation and space exploration, this class is extraordinary in every way,” Maruyama’s statement reads. “We are grateful to the NAHF Board of Nominations for putting forward such a distinguished group of nominees.”
One notable inductee to last year’s hall of fame class was Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the pilot known for safely landing a U.S. Airways flight in New York City’s Hudson River during a 2009 emergency. His induction came just two months after he went public with an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.
The Full List of the 2027 Class
This year’s distinguished honorees are considered pioneers in air and space. They are as follows:
J. Bob Balaram
Visionary aerospace engineer and NASA innovator J. Bob Balaram is considered an aviation pioneer who made history with Ingenuity, the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet.
As originator and chief engineer of the Mars Helicopter project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Balaram transformed a once-radical concept into a technology that opened a new era of planetary exploration.
Vernon Estes
As an innovator, inventor, and entrepreneur in model rocketry, Vernon Estes sparked the imagination of generations through his innovative work in aerospace education.
He founded Estes Industries in 1958 and invented “Mabel,” an automated machine that enabled the mass production of safe, affordable model rocket engines. By making model rocketry widely accessible, Estes inspired millions of young people to pursue interests in science, engineering, aviation and space exploration.
Neal Vernon Loving (Deceased)
Pioneering aviator, aircraft designer and aeronautical engineer Neal Vernon Loving’s perseverance broke barriers in American aviation.
The late visionary lost both his legs in a 1944 glider accident but returned to flight. He built a midget racer, becoming the first African American in history to be certified to race airplanes.
Charles J. Precourt
Precourt is a decorated Air Force veteran, former NASA chief astronaut, test pilot and aerospace leader. He was a veteran of four space shuttle missions and piloted Atlantis during the first shuttle docking with Russia’s Mir space station.
He later served as chief of NASA’s Astronaut Corps, overseeing the selection, training and mission readiness of shuttle and International Space Station crews.
Judith A. Resnick (Deceased)
Judth Resnick, a pioneering astronaut, engineer and scientist, helped open the frontiers of spaceflight to a new generation of explorers. She was selected in NASA’s landmark 1978 astronaut class as one of the first six women chosen for the U.S. Astronaut Corps.
She became the second American woman to fly in space when she served aboard the maiden flight of space shuttle Discovery in 1984. She died in 1986 when the shuttle Challenger exploded upon liftoff.
Steven Udvar-Hazy
Visionary aviation entrepreneur and philanthropist Steven Udvar-Hazy transformed the economics of commercial flight and reshaped the global airline industry.
He is widely credited with pioneering modern aircraft leasing, creating new opportunities for airlines around the world to acquire and operate modern aircraft while influencing generations of airliner design and fleet development.
