24th Annual Banquet to Honor Pilots With Accolades and Fellowship
A special evening in the history of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame (DAHF) was held on Sunday, October 27th, at the Executive Banquet & Conference Center in Newark, Delaware. The center of attraction—five of the First State’s most distinguished people of aviation, plus two Youth Aviation Achievemnt Award winners—were honored with decorations and ovations, all within the Conference Center with its colorful table decor, tastefully prepared dinner, and helpful serving staff.
Hangar Flyin’ and Cocktails
The evening started off with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception in the main hall of the Center.
This venue offered an opportunity for aviation people to meet and catch up on “what’s new” and to greet the honorees.
Photos, reproduction prints and other displays were exhibited around the Center. A continuous video gallery of DAHF inductees and aviation aircraft was projected on a big screen. Plus, memorabilia was on display at each of the 2024 Inductees' tables.
Ceremony
The celebrants were ushered into the Center's main banquet room. Master of Ceremonies Robert McMahon, a 2021 DAHF Inductee, officiated the ceremony by calling on bagpiper Jeff Edwards to lead the procession into the hall. The Delaware Air National Guard Cadet Squadron Color Guard opened the ceremony with the posting of the colors, followed by the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Eve Edwards.
Presentation of Inductees:
To commence the ceremonies, the Youth Aviation Achievement winners, Brogan Conley and Evan Lightfoot, were introduced and presented their certificates. Then the 2024 honorees and their “wingmen" were called individually, in alphabetical order, to the platform. (Following their selection, each inductee was assigned a member of the DAHF board to serve as his/her liaison. Fittingly, they dubbed themselves “wingmen").
Each honoree was introduced by their wingman to the audience. At the conclusion of each of their introductions, President LeSans Alexander presented each inductee with a plaque and ribboned medallion in honor of their induction to the Hall of Fame.
A basket raffle was held with a variety of specially designed baskets and prizes awarded to the winners
The Program
Following dinner, President LeSans Alexander welcomed everyone and recognized the dignitaries who were in attendance.
