Tennessee State Aviation Hall of Fame

Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame

Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport

Adopted on July 1, 2001.

The Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, Inc. has found a home, according to Hall of Fame Founder, Bob Minter. Soon after R. Neal Melton, founder of the new Tennessee Museum of Aviation, selected the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport as the site for his project.

The Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame's Inaugural Induction Ceremony was on September 14, 2002 at the new Tennessee Museum of Aviation. It was adopted on July 1,2001.

Tennessee's Aviation Hall of Fame was established as a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to preserving aviation history, advancing aviation education, and to honoring those who have made extraordinary contributions to aviation and aerospace for Tennessee, our nation or the world. The Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, located at the Gatlingburg-Pigeon Forge Airport in Sevier County, was designated as the official state aviation hall of fame by Chapter 78 of the Public Acts of 2001. It opened at its new home, the Tennessee Museum of Aviation, in December 2001.

September 14th 2002 was destined to be a historical event in Tennessee's already grand aviation history. This will be the first time ever that Tennesseans who have made exceptional contributions to aviation, aerospace and air transportation have been formally recognized, honored and enshrined in the state's official aviation hall of fame.

Tennessee first four members into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.

• Evelyn Bryan Johnson the highest-time pilot alive in the world today, with more than 57,000 carefully logged hours. Evelyn has more flying time than any other woman who ever lived, and is today, at age 92, the oldest active flight instructor in the world.
• William Kershner writes some of the best flight instruction books, but that's not all. He was first a commercial civilian pilot, then a naval carrier pilot, and then a civilian pilot again. He towed gliders, flew parachutists, demonstrated aircraft, and was a personal pilot to William Piper.
• Late Col. James Haun, retired from the US Air Force. Like Kershner, Colonel Haun had a civilian flying career followed by an illustrious military career followed by a long and productive career as a civilian CFI. When he retired from the military in the 1960s, he became a CFI in Nashville and Smyrna, Tennessee.
• Fred Smith himself, the fellow who founded and built FedEx.

Tennessee Museum of Aviation
P.O. Box 5587
135 Air Museum Way
Sevierville, TN 37864-5587
Tele: (865) 908-0171, Ext. 22 or 24 Fax: (865) 908-8421
Email: info@tnairmuseum.com

TN Aviation Hall of Fame. Designates Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame and affiliated Tennessee Museum of Aviation as official state repository and archive for aviation history.

TCA Secs. 04-01-0300; 04-01-0326

Senate Status: Set for Senate State & Local Government Committee 04/29/2003.
House Status: House passed 04/07/2003.
 

 
Chapter No. 78] PUBLIC ACTS, 2000 1
CHAPTER NO. 78
SENATE BILL NO. 1352
By Clabough, Cohen, Williams, Mr. Speaker Wilder
Substituted for: House Bill No. 287
By Montgomery, Roach, Pleasant

AN ACT To amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 3, relative to the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, which is located at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport in Sevier County and which has been founded for the purpose of honoring aviation pioneers and leaders in Tennessee, is designated as the official state aviation hall of fame.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2001, the public welfare requiring it.

PASSED: April 9, 2001 APPROVED this 11th day of April 2001