World’s Most Prestigious Air and Space Hall of Fame to Introduce Distinguished Class of 2020 on Dec. 10
Barbara Barrett, American businesswoman, attorney and diplomat currently serving as Secretary of the United State Air Force, and Tammie Jo Shults, retired Southwest Airlines pilot and one of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy, to be inducted at this year’s International Air & Space Hall of Fame Celebration during a special virtual gala on Thursday, December 10, the San Diego Air & Space Museum announced today. The Virtual Gala begins at precisely 6 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Dec. 10 and registration is open to the public at https://sandiegoairandspace.org/celebration. Proceeds from the International Air & Space Hall of Fame celebration benefit the Museum’s COVID19 Recovery Fund and Youth Education Programs.
Since 1963, the International Air & Space Hall of Fame has honored the world’s most significant pilots, crew members, visionaries, inventors, aerospace engineers, business leaders, preservationists, designers and space explorers.
“We’re especially pleased to honor these two groundbreaking and truly remarkable women aviation influencers as the distinguished Class of 2020 into the Hall of Fame,” said Jim Kidrick, President & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “Aviation and space exploration, as embodied by the honorees in the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, directly represents the human pioneering and exploring spirit. December 10 is the day of the year everyone remembers for the rest of their lives.”
The International Air & Space Hall of Fame Class of 2020:
Barbara Barrett
American business woman, attorney, and diplomat serving as the current Secretary of the United States Air Force. She is an instrument-rated pilot and cattle and bison rancher. As the 25th Secretary of the Air Force, Barrett leads the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, comprising the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. She also is the former chair of the Aerospace Corporation and a member on the boards of California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, RAND Corporation, Smithsonian Institution, Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, and the Lasker Foundation.
Tammie Jo Shults
Retired pilot for Southwest Airlines. Among the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy. Praised for her quick thinking and calm demeanor under pressure during an emergency landing that saved 149 passengers at Philadelphia International Airport. While in the United States Navy in 1985, served as an instructor pilot flying the F/A 18 Hornet and EA-6B Prowler, eventually achieving the rank of lieutenant commander.
The Virtual Gala begins at precisely 6 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Dec. 10 and registration is open to the public at https://sandiegoairandspace.org/celebration. Proceeds from the International Air & Space Hall of Fame celebration benefit the Museum’s COVID19 Recovery Fund and Youth Education Programs. The Museum also is offering a special VIP package containing a celebratory selection of food, beverages and memorabilia. The VIP packages will be available for pickup at the Museum on the day of the event, Thursday Dec. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m.
The International Air & Space Hall of Fame is the most prestigious induction of its kind in the world and is composed of hundreds of air and space pioneers, engineers, inventors and innovators, along with adventurers, scientists and industry leaders. NASA Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts and Russian cosmonauts are honored in the Hall, as well as famous legends such as the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart. Notable inductees also include Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yeager, Igor Sikorsky, Wernher von Braun, Jack Northrop, Jackie Cochran, William Boeing, Sr., Reuben H. Fleet, Glenn Curtiss, Walter Zable Sr., Fran Bera, Wally Schirra, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, T. Claude Ryan, Jimmy Doolittle, Bob Hoover, Ellen Ochoa, Peggy Whitson, Linden Blue, Patty Wagstaff, and many more. See the following link: http://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/international-air-space-hall-of-fame.
Proceeds from the International Air & Space Hall of Fame celebration benefit the Museum’s youth education programs.
