News & Events

Betty Skelton Frankman Erde

Inducted in 2010

First Lady of Aerobatics; Aviation and Automotive Pioneer

1926 – 2011

Betty June Skelton, the only child of David and Myrtle Skelton, was born in Pensacola, Florida on June 28, 1926. An independent child, she played with model airplanes instead of dolls. Later she devoted her playtime to sitting on the back steps of her home watching Navy cadets from the nearby Naval Air Station flying overhead executing maneuvers in bi-planes. Finally, at the age of nine, she convinced her parents she wanted to become a Navy flyer.

Betty’s father, a railroad conductor, shared her interest in flying, and the three Skeltons began visiting the airport every spare moment. A young Navy Ensign began teaching the entire family to fly. Betty was the last to solo. She was twelve years old..

During World War II the Skelton family was active in the Civil Air Patrol. The young pilot legally soloed on her sixteenth birthday. One day after high school graduation, she joined Eastern Air Lines where she worked the graveyard shift, leaving daylight hours for building up her flight hours. At eighteen she became a commercial flight instructor teaching war veterans how to fly on the GI Bill of Rights. Sea-plane and multi-engine ratings followed, plus a new career in aerobatic flying and establishing world records.

Betty became a champion professional aerobatic aviatrix headlining major air shows in the forties and fifties, including the famous Cleveland Air Races and Miami Air Maneuvers. First she flew a 1929 Great Lakes biplane, then the second Pitts Special ever constructed. Her expertise resulted in the Pitts airplane becoming internationally famous. The tiny aircraft went with her on board the original Queen Mary in 1949 to represent the United States in the International Air Pageant in London, England and the RAF Air Show in Belfast, Ireland. During this era in aviation history, women pilots were not accepted by airlines or the military services. Betty was too young for the WASPS, the civilian women ferry pilots during the war.

The aviatrix also participated in all major air shows in the nation for years, did test pilot work, and flew thousands of miles each year to nearly every state in the union. She flew special experimental demonstrations for Beechcraft Aviation Company in their T-34 Mentor to the Air Force. She became Director of Personnel at Garner Aviation Corporation located at Bartow Air Base in Florida where Air Force cadets were trained. After becoming the first and only woman to cut ribbons flying upside down ten feet above the ground, Betty had explored almost all of the challenging opportunities available to a woman at that time in the world of aviation.

Bill France, NASCAR Found and flier, personally invited her to participate in his 1954 Speedweek events on the sands of Daytona Beach. Always interested in new challenges, she quickly accepted. With no previous experience driving an automobile in competitive events, she “put the pedal to the medal” driving a Dodge sedan there, and established a new class record.

Betty’s beach record led her to joining the Dodge Division of Chrysler Corporation where she became the first woman test driver in the auto industry. Her love for the Corvette caused her to later switch to Chevrolet in Detroit, Michigan and to become a member of Chevy’s advertising agency. She became an official spokesperson for Chevrolet in television commercials and network appearances. She was Chevy’s first lady technical narrator in major auto shows. She set records across the South American Andes mountain ranges and from New York to Los Angeles. She became the fastest woman on earth driving a jet car on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to over 315 miles an hour.

Aviation Records:

  • International Feminine Aerobatic Champion – 1948, 1949, 1950. All-American Air Maneuvers, Miami, Florida. First woman to win three times.
  • World Light Plane Altitude Record – Tampa, Florida. Piper Cub – 20,050’ – 1951
  • World Light Plane Altitude Record – Miami, Florida. Piper Cub – 25,763’ – 1949
  • World Speed Record for Engine Aircraft – Tampa, Florida. P-51 racing plane over 3 kilometer course to 421.6 MPH – 1949 (Unofficial due to engine fire.)
  • Air Racing Wins – Various light planes during forties and fifties.

Automotive Records:

  • World Land Speed Record for Women – (For 4th time) – Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah – Driving Art Arfons jet “Green Monster Cyclops” to top speed of 315.72 MPH
  • Durability Record – Tijuana, Mexico to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico – full length Baja Peninsula – Chevrolet truck – June 1962
  • Transcontinental South America Automobile Record – Buenos Aires, Argentina to Valparaiso, Chile-round trip non-stop, twice across the Andes Mountains – 41 hours, 14 minutes; Chevrolet Wagon, January 14, 1958
  • Transcontinental United States Automobile Record – New York to Los Angeles, 2,913 miles – 56 hours, 58 minutes – Chevrolet Sedan – October 22, 1956 (Called “Operation Cannonball” – first to break Cannonball Baker’s record.)

Frank Purdy Lahm

Inducted in 2009

One of first trainees for military aircraft

November 11, 1877 – July 7, 1963

Frank Lahm spent two years at Michigan Military Academy preparing for West Point, where he entered in June 1897 and subsequently served in France. Upon his return to the United States in 1903, Lieutenant Lahm was stationed at West Point as an instructor in French. The son of a balloonist, he trained at West Point, served in the cavalry, and transferred to the signal corps in 1907. A pioneer aviator, he trained with Wilbur Wright, and in 1909 became one of the army’s first two certified pilots.

Lahm’s father had joined the Aero Club of France and owned the balloon the “Katherine Hamilton,” named in honor of his daughter. In the summer of 1905 young Lahm completed the requirements of six ascensions, including one at night and one alone, to win his Federation Aeronautique Internationale license as a balloon pilot. In July of the same summer Lahm became a first lieutenant. In 1906 young Lahm won the International Balloon Race, flying across the Channel from Paris, France to Yorkshire, England. It was in the home’s garden that Lahm’s father introduced Frank to Wilbur and Orville Wright.

After practice hops, Orville Wright, with Lieutenant Lahm as a passenger, made the first official test flight on July 27, 1909. He and Lahm established a world’s record for a two-man flight – one hour, 12 minutes and 40 seconds. In October 1909 Wilbur Wright trained Lieutenants Lahm and Frederic E. Humphreys. With little more than three hours apiece flying time, Lahm and Humphreys were pronounced pilots on Oct 26. When Lahm and Humphreys crashed November 5, the Army lost its entire air force, one plane.

Frank Lahm was a president of the First Flight Society. The airport in Mansfield, OH is named for him.

Frederick E. Humphreys

Inducted in 2009

One of first trainees for military aircraft

September 16, 1883 – January 20, 1941

After attending the Pennsylvania Military Academy, he won an appointment from New York to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduated and was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. After assisting in bridge construction, he was deployed to Cuba during the Pacification Expedition, and a year later, returned to attend the Engineer School. While at the school, he was detailed to the Signal Corps.

“Aeroplane No. 1, Heavier-than-Air Division, US Aerial Fleet” was officially accepted by the US Army on August 2, 1909. 800 pounds of bamboo, wire and cloth, and a 30 hp engine connected to propellers by bicycle chains had cost the government $30,000. Included in the contract was the requirement for the Wright brothers to train and certify two military officers as pilots. These were to be Lieutenants Lahm and Foulois; the latter, however, was dispatched to attend the International Congress of Aeronautics in Europe, and Lieutenant Frederick E. Humphreys was detailed to take his place.

Shortly after 8 am on October 26, 1909, a mechanic held a gasoline soaked rag over the engine intake while another cranked the engine into life. Wilbur Wright hurriedly ran to a nearby shed for windowsash weights to replace his weight in the passenger seat.

After a little over three hours of actual flying time, Lieutenant Humphreys became the first military student pilot to be told he was ready to “take her up on your own.” A catapult weight dropped, and plane and pilot were assisted aloft for a three minute flight.
Two more flights were made by Lieutenant Humphreys that day, the next of eight and one half minutes, and the last of twenty-four minutes. Lieutenant Lahm also soloed for three flights, and Wilbur Wright pronounced both “certified pilots.” Over the next few days the two flew practice flights together and separately, until November 5th, when they crashed the plane and American military aviation came to an abrupt and temporary end.

Herbert D. Kelleher

Inducted in 2008

Co-Founder, Southwest Airlines

1931 -2019

Herbert Kelleher is a Founder of Southwest Airlines Co., and served as Executive Chairman from March 1978 to May 2008 and as President and CEO from September 1981 through June 2001.

Southwest commenced service with three airplanes in 1971 and today operates a fleet of more than 527 airplanes performing over 3,400 flights per day. Kelleher’s company has been profitable for 35 consecutive years and has never furloughed an employee. For 11 years in a row, FORTUNE magazine recognized Southwest Airlines in its annual survey of corporate reputations, and among all industries in 2007, FORTUNE has listed Southwest Airlines as number five among America’s Top Ten most admired corporations.

Kelleher himself has received numerous awards and honors, including the U.S. Chamber Business Leadership Hall of Fame; CEO of the Year and one of history’s top three CEOs, Chief Executive magazine; CEO of the Century, Texas Monthly magazine; National Sales and Marketing Hall of Fame; U.S. Master Entrepreneur, INC. magazine; CEO of the Decade-Airline Industry, Financial World magazine; Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy; Bower Award for Business Leadership, Franklin Institute; Smithsonian Aero Club Trophy; Tony Jannus Award; Wings Club Distinguished Achievement Award; San Diego Aerospace Hall of Fame; L. Welch Pogue Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aviation, Aviation Week; Airline Business Award, Airline Business magazine; 2005 Global Service Leader Award; History Making Texan Award; the Business Hall of Fame of the State of Texas, the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and the City of Dallas, the Herbert D. Kelleher Servant Leader Scholarship named in Herb’s honor by the Austin Business Travel Association, induction into the Texas Labor Management Hall of Fame; and the Transportation Research Forum President’s Award.

Kelleher graduated with honors from Wesleyan University where he was an Olin Scholar and where his major was English and his minor Philosophy, and from NYU Law School, where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar.

Dr. Richard T. Whitcomb

Inducted in 2007

“Area Rule” & “Winglets” Impact us Today

1921 – 2009

A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a BS in mechanical engineering (high distinction) in 1943, Dr. Whitcomb went to work for NACA – now NASA – at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory from 1943 until his retirement in 1980. During his 37 years at NASA, he celebrated many accomplishments. One that most of us can relate to is the “area rule” that allowed aircraft to break the sound barrier, which earned hi the 1954 Collier Trophy. Another is “winglets” devices used at the wingtips, normal to the wingspar, extending both upward and downward, which reduce wingtip vortices and the induced drag such vortices create, improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the wing and seen frequently in modern airliners, in which they reduce fuel consumption.

In addition to the Collier Trophy, Dr. Whitcomb is the recipient of the USAF Exceptional Service Medal 1955, NACA Distinguished Service Medal 1956, NASA Exceptional Scientific Service Medal 1959, National Medal of Science in 1973, NAA Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy 1974, National Academy of Engineering 1976, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2003.

Tony Jannus

Inducted in 2006

World’s first airline pilot

1889 – 1916

Anthony Habersack Jannus was born in 1889 in Washington, DC. Tony Jannus was just twenty-one years old when he taught himself to fly and soloed in a Rexford Smith biplane at College Park, Maryland. Quickly becoming a skilled aviator, Jannus moved to St. Louis in 1911 to serve as the chief pilot for the Benoist Aircraft Company.

On March 1, 1912, Jannus and his passenger, Albert Berry, did something that had never been done. Although Berry was a parachutist, experienced in jumping from balloons, no one had ever jumped from a moving airplane. With Jannus at the controls, Berry dropped from the airplane at an altitude of fifteen hundred feet. His history-making jump was perfect. Later that year Jannus received worldwide newspaper coverage for his record-setting, 1,973-mile flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to New Orleans, Louisiana. In the process, the flight provided thousands of people with their first exposure to aviation.

On January 1, 1914, with the inauguration of the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, Tony Jannus entered history books as the world’s first airline pilot. Three thousand people crowded St. Petersburg’s waterfront in anticipation of the big event. With a high bid of $400, former St. Petersburg mayor Abe Pheil won the honor of being the first passenger to travel from St. Petersburg to Tampa by air. Tony Jannus and the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line showed the world that passengers could be carried on a scheduled basis and that a demand for such service existed. Jannus had proven the dependability, practicality, and safety of scheduled air service.

On October 12, 1916, the veteran test pilot lost his life when the Curtiss H-7 flying boat that he was flying crashed into Russia’s Black Sea. In a career that spanned less than a decade, Tony Jannus had accomplished more than many aviators do in an entire lifetime. His achievements left a lasting mark on the world of commercial aviation.

Captain Albert Berry

Inducted in 2005

The world’s first parachutist from an aircraft

1878-?

US Army Captain Albert Berry made a tethered jump from a Benoist Headless airplane over Kinlock Field near the site of the present Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri in march of 1912.

On 1 March 1912, Berry jumped from a Benoist pusher biplane from 1,500 feet. The 36 foot diameter parachute was contained in a metal canister attached to the underside of the plane – when Berry dropped from the plane his weight pulled the parachute from the canister. Rather than being attached to the parachute by a harness Berry was seated on a trapeze bar.

Asked if he would ever repeat the performance, Berry replied: “Never again! I believe I turned five somersaults on my way down…My course downward… was like a crazy arrow. I was not prepared for the violent sensation that I felt when I broke away from the aeroplane.”

Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick

Inducted in 2005

Legends of Aviation

1893 – 1978

Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick, remembered as the “First Lady of Parachuting,” holds a place in The Guinness Book of World Records for her achievements as a parachutist. Georgia Ann Thompson, married at twelve, was a mother at thirteen, and soon was abandoned by her husband. At fifteen, Georgia, a cotton mill worker in Henderson, attended a carnival in Raleigh. There, she watched as Charles Broadwick jumped from a balloon and descended by parachute. It was a life-changing event for her, and Broadwick secured permission for the teenager to join his “World Famous Aeronauts.” Soon after, she became Broadwick’s adopted daughter. At just over four feet, Georgia was nicknamed “Tiny,” and was billed as “The Doll Girl.” She thrilled audiences by jumping from a swing attached to a balloon. As the novelty wore off, the Broadwicks moved their act to flying machines. In 1913, soaring in a biplane, she descended from 2,000 feet into Griffith Park in Los Angeles, becoming the first woman to jump from an airplane with a parachute.

Tuskegee Airmen

Inducted in 2004

Legends of Aviation

In spite of adversity and limited opportunities, African-Americans have played a significant role in US military history over the past 300 years. They were denied military leadership roles and skilled training because many believed they lacked qualifications for combat duty. Before 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the US military. Civil rights organizations and the black press exerted pressure that resulted in the formation of an all African-American pursuit squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1941. They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

“Tuskegee Airmen” refers to all who were involved in the so-called “Tuskegee Experiment,” the Army Air Corps program to train African-Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air.

The military selected Tuskegee Institute to train pilots because of its commitment to aeronautical training. Tuskegee had the facilities, and engineering and technical instructors, as well as a climate for year round flying. The first Civilian Pilot Training Program students completed their instruction in May 1940. The Tuskegee program was then expanded and became the center for African-American aviation during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. They proved conclusively that African Americans could fly and maintain sophisticated combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen’s achievements, together with the men and women who supported them, paved the way for full integration of the US military.

Tuskegee Airman Brigadier General Charles McGee is an Honorary Member of the First Flight Society.

Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright

Re-Inducted in 2003

First To Achieve Successful Powered Flight In A Heavier-Than-Air-Machine, 1903

Wilbur Wright
1867 – 1912

Orville Wright
1871 – 1948

The Wright brothers made the world’s first four successful airplane flights on the cold, windswept sands of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Their “Flyer” lifted from level ground to the north of Big Kill Devil Hill at 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 1903. Orville piloted the 605-pound machine during the first flight, traveling 120 feet in 12 seconds.

Although Wilbur achieved the best results of the day on the fourth and final flight, 852 feet in 59 seconds, it is Orville’s earlier flight that is best remembered. As Orville later described:

“This flight lasted only 12 seconds, but it was nevertheless the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without a reduction in speed, and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it began.”