A pair of business aviation stalwarts join a distinguished list of honorees as this year’s inductees to the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and Bryan Moss, a veteran business aviation executive who led both Gulfstream and Bombardier during his long career, are among those honored at the ceremony held Nov. 20 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Bolen, who has headed NBAA since 2004, is also a member of the board of directors of the National Aeronautic Association. Prior to joining NBAA, he served for eight years as president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Moss received the 2007 NBAA Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation, NBAA’s most distinguished honor, presented annually to an individual who, “by virtue of a lifetime of personal dedication, has made significant, identifiable contributions that have materially advanced aviation interests.”
Other honorees include the Texas-based Commemorative Air Force (CAF); Eileen Collins, the first female commander of the Space Shuttle and the first person to fly the Shuttle to two different space stations; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 lunar module pilot who became the tenth and youngest human being to walk on the surface of the moon on April 16, 1972; FedEx, launched as Federal Express in 1973 with fewer than 400 employees and 14 Falcon 20 light jets, becoming one of the first major shipping companies to offer overnight delivery; and Dee O’Hara, the first aerospace nurse assigned to NASA’s Mercury Seven astronauts in 1959. O’Hara participated in every launch in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
Jim Kidrick, president & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum, said, “Achievements in aviation and space, as embodied by the honorees in the International Air & Space Hall of Fame, directly represent the human pioneering and exploring spirit.”
