BLOOMINGTON, MINN. – The Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame (MAHF) held its 25th annual induction banquet at the Ramada, Mall of America Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, where emcee Stan Ross introduced the six inductees for 2014:
Marty Coddington, a long-time air traffic controller, who, among other assignments, worked the Oshkosh, Wis. tower for 10 years before retiring for an airline job with Express One, an airlink for the former Northwest Airlines.
Colonel Craig Duehring spent his career in the U.S. Air Force, and served two combat tours in Vietnam as a “Raven” observer pilot.
Greg Herrick, known to most Midwest aviation buffs for his Golden Wings Museum at Anoka County-Blaine Airport. Introducing Herrick was his longtime friend, AOPA President Mark Baker.
The late John Roberts, who headed the aviation program at Minnesota State University in Mankato, and served as a test pilot for Cessna, fixed base operator, flight examiner and corporate pilot.
The late William Bushnell Stout – an inventor, engineer, and designer of the airliner, which was to become the Ford Trimotor for Henry Ford.
The late John H. Wastvedt, who was a Marine flyer in the Pacific during WWII, flew for Honeywell after the war, and partnered in several aviation organizations, including the soaring association based at Stanton Airfield, Stanton, Minn.
Noel Allard of Menahga was named “Minnesota Aviation Writer of the Year,” and John Valo of St. Cloud was named “Aviation Artist of the Year.”
Three scholarships were awarded to students who are pursuing aviation careers including Kyle Budach of Janesville, Minn., who received the Don Hinz Scholarship; Zach Alsterlund of Inver Grove Heights, who received the Kenneth Dahlberg Scholarship; and Brock Wood of Alexandria, who received the Scott Anderson Scholarship.
The public is invited to submit nominations for the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. Candidates submitted prior to November 30th of this year will be eligible for induction in 2016. The nomination process is outlined on the Hall of Fame website, mnaviationhalloffame.org.
