Seven years after it was established, the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame (AAHOF) has found a permanent home after striking an agreement with the Historical Aviation Restoration Society (HARS).
AAHOF chairman Steve Padgett said he was delighted the search for a site to call home had settled on HARS’s facility at Albion Park.
“There was a commitment to our sponsors and supporters that we would create a permanent home and a specific purpose display for AAHOF,” Padgett said in a statement.
“After seeking proposals from various locations around Australia, we were delighted to find that our objectives and interests and those of HARS were closely associated; enabling us to jointly form a relationship for the benefit of both organisations and to those who support both HARS and the Hall of Fame.”
The AAHOF has been a “virtual” presence via its aahof.com.au website since its formation in 2010 with the support of the Wagga Wagga City Council.
In 2016, Temora Aviation Museum, near Wagga Wagga, hosted the AAHOF annual dinner. Some 31 individuals and five organisations have been inducted to the Hall of Fame since the organisation was formed in 2010.
A display area showcasing past and future inductees would be built in the coming months.
The AAHOF was the brain child of Paul Tyrrell, former chief executive of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, and Chris Manning, former Chief Pilot of Qantas and current Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) chief commissioner.
