TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hall honors Apollo flier, Jimmy Stewart

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2009

DAYTON, Ohio - Edward White, who made America's first spacewalk and died in a spacecraft fire, is among the latest aviation and space pioneers inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The other enshrinees in Saturday night's ceremony were Jimmy Stewart, the late Hollywood actor and bomber pilot during World War II; Eileen Collins, the first woman to command the space shuttle; and Russell Meyer Jr., former head of Cessna Aircraft Co.

Friday night, the hall presented its "Spirit of Flight" Award to the Apollo astronaut crews for their roles in the moon landing, moon walk, and the safe return to Earth.

White, who flew in the Air Force, made America's first spacewalk in 1965. He died Jan. 27, 1967, when a flash fire swept through the Apollo I spacecraft during a prelaunch test at Cape Kennedy.

Stewart enlisted in the Army in 1941 and flew 20 combat missions in B-24s, earning numerous awards.

Collins became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, in 1995, and flew in a total of four shuttle missions.

Meyer was a fighter pilot from 1955-61.

The Associated Press

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT