San Diego Aerospace Museum

The International Aerospace Hall of Fame

Their names have made the headlines for over two centuries. They are the men and women of many nations who have made flight and space exploration the most exciting series of events in our human experience. In so doing, these remarkable people have earned a place of honor in the Museum's International Aerospace Hall of Fame.

These famous aeronautical adventurers have distinguished themselves in many different aspects of flight. Some are pilots, some aircraft designers, others are industrialists, explorers or astronauts.

Among the better known are Americans such as Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot upon the moon; and Amelia Earhart, known for her transcontinental and transoceanic flying.

The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, first human in space, is also honored, as is the Englishman, Sir Geoffrey De Havilland, a distinguished British aircraft designer.

From the inventors, to the pilots, to the industrialists whose visions created the complex organizations necessary to build our airplanes and spacecraft -- all are represented within the Museum's International Aerospace Hall of Fame, which contains beautiful oil portraits of each honoree, displayed with biographical information.

A unique and striking collection of memorabilia is also on display to complement the portraits, including a mandolin played by the Wright Brothers, military decorations of several honorees, the ripcord handle used by Jimmy Doolittle in one of his emergency parachute jumps, and the drafting instruments used by Reginald Mitchell in designing the Spitfire.


Charles Lindbergh	T. Claude Ryan

Glenn H. Curtiss	Reuben H. Fleet

Four of the portraits in our International Aerospace Hall of Fame are of those distinguished pioneer aviators whose careers are directly associated with the rich aviation history of San Diego.

Charles A. Lindbergh selected the Ryan Airline Company in San Diego to design and build his legendary Spirit of St. Louis, in which he completed the first solo Trans-Atlantic flight.

T. Claude Ryan's company not only built the Spirit, but under his direction designed and built many aircraft which played significant roles in America's civil and military aviation history.

Aviation pioneer and inventor Glenn H. Curtiss demonstrated the value of airplanes to the U.S. Navy in 1911 when he flew one of his aircraft successfully from the waters of San Diego Bay.

Reuben H. Fleet organized the first U.S. Air Mail Service in 1918. He also formed Consolidated Aircraft in 1923, which later became the Convair Corporation. During World War II, Consolidated built 18,000 B-24 Liberator bombers as well as the Catalina flying boat.

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The International Aerospace Hall of Fame

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