Get extra lift from AOPA. Start your free membership trial today! Click here

Nominations sought for Paul E. Garber Shrine

First Flight Society honors 'significant firsts'

Honorees to the Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine can now be submitted by the public to the First Flight Society. The inductee for 2026 will be chosen this year; the deadline is March 31.

A setting sun illuminates the monument at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Photo by David Tulis.

The Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine was founded in 1966. Past honorees include Charles Lindbergh, Col. John Glenn, Col. Gail Halvorsen, and most recently, Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, all honored for “achieving significant ‘firsts’ in aviation development since 1903,” according to the First Flight Society website. Nominees should be “a person, living or dead, who since December 17, 1903, either personally or with the assistance of others, have made such outstanding accomplishments in support of flight operations that they are generally recognized nationally and internationally for their achievements and contributions to aerospace activities.” The most promising honorees are recommended by an advisory committee; the final inductee will be chosen by the board of the First Flight Society.

The nomination form can be downloaded and may be emailed, or mailed with a letter of nomination and supporting documents to First Flight Society, P.O. Box 1903, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949.

Sylvia Schneider Horne
Digital Media Editor
Sylvia Schneider Horne is a digital media editor for AOPA's eMedia division.
Topics: Awards and Records, Career, People

Related Articles