Aviation Hall of Fame Inducts Ride, Fossett, and Others

Filed in archive Aviation History on July 24, 2007

The National Aviation Hall of Fame inducted Sally Ride, the first American woman in space - and Steve Fossett - the first person to navigate the planet solo via balloon. Other inductees include Walter Boyne, Evelyn Johnson, and Frederick Smith.

Sally Ride, 56, a California native, accepted the medallion signifying her induction Saturday in front of a crowd of about 1,000 at the Dayton Convention Center.

Ride became the first U.S. woman in space when she flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1983. Ride returned to space aboard the Challenger in 1984 and served on the board that investigated the 1986 Challenger accident.

"I had a chance to float around weightless for a week ... I got to float over to the window and take a look at the world below, a very breathtaking view," she said.

Ride was introduced by former astronaut Robert Crippen, who commanded Ride's flights.

"The demands placed on her as the first woman to fly in space for the United States were mind-boggling," said Crippen, who described Ride as a team player.

Ride become interested in space at an early age and recalled her excitement in 1969 when she watched astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the moon.

Steve Fossett, who in 2002 became the first person to circle the planet in a solo balloon and in 2005 the first to fly a plane solo around the world without refueling, said he was grateful for the induction but plans to add more records to his list.

"I'm hoping you didn't give me this award because you think my career is complete, because I'm not done," said Fossett, who also claims along with a co-pilot to have set a world glider altitude record of 50,671 feet during a flight in August over the Andes Mountains.

Fossett, 63, of Beaver Creek, Colo., said he plans to go to Argentina in November in an effort to break another glider record.

"You may ask, what's the secret of flying solo? The secret is a great support team," Fossett said, thanking the ground team.

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