AIN Staff

Leonard Michael Greene, the late Safe Flight Instrument Corp. founder and Corporate Angel Network (CAN) co-founder, and aviation pioneer Ross Perot Jr. are among a slate of individuals selected for the 2026 National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF), the organization announced this week at NBAA-BACE 2025.&nbsp; In all, seven individuals were selected in the 2026 class, also including C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger, the late John Odegard, the late William Bahret, Peggy Whitson, and Shannon Lucid.
“These trailblazers have made groundbreaking contributions to aviation and aerospace, from breaking barriers and advancing safety standards to pioneering innovative technologies and inspiring future generations,” NAHF said. The NAHF will hold the induction ceremony for this class on Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C
They will join the 270 individuals who have been enshrined to date. Congressionally chartered, NAHF was founded in 1962 to recognize individual achievement in aviation and space exploration, celebrate pioneers who have shaped the industry, and inspire future generations.
“We are honored to recognize the extraordinary achievements of the Class of 2026,” said NAHF president and CEO Aimee Maruyama. “From pioneering stealth technology and aerospace education to redefining human spaceflight and aviation safety, this year’s class reflects the full spectrum of innovation and leadership in aerospace.”
Often referred to as the “father of stealth,” Bahret developed groundbreaking methods to measure and predict radar signatures based on shape and materials, identifying key contributors to radar reflection such as curved surfaces, jet turbines, and antennas. His theories have been applied to stealth-enhancing designs, such as the Hound Dog missile, and laid the foundation for modern low-observable aircraft.
Greene was an inventor and aerodynamics engineer who held more than 200 patents to improve aviation safety and performance. Best known for the widely adopted aircraft stall warning device, he founded Safe Flight Instrument Corp. in 1946 and co-founded CAN in 1981.
Lucid is a former NASA astronaut and biochemist who logged more than 5,300 hours in space across five missions, including a record-setting 188-day stay aboard Russia’s Mir Space Station. She was among the first women to join NASA’s astronaut corps.
Odegard founded the University of North Dakota’s School of Aerospace Sciences, transforming a small flight program into one of the world’s top collegiate aviation schools and a leader in pilot education, aerospace research, and space studies.
Perot, chairman of The Perot Group and Hillwood who made history as the first person to circumnavigate the globe in a helicopter at age 23, co-piloting the Bell 206L-2 “Spirit of Texas” in 1982. He developed the nation’s first purely industrial airport—Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW)—and set multiple speed records in the Gulfstream G650ER.
Sullenberger is the famed airline captain whose quick thinking and calm leadership during the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009 saved all 155 people on board. The event became known as the Miracle on the Hudson,” and he has since become a leading safety advocate.
Whitson, biochemist and astronaut, became the first woman to command the International Space Station, flying three long-duration missions, and was NASA’s Chief of the Astronaut Office. She set a U.S. record for the most cumulative days in space and conducted more than 60 hours of spacewalks.

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