EAA honors five 2023 Halls of Fame inductees

Five individuals who contributed greatly to recreational aviation were honored on November 9 as they were inducted into the EAA Sport Aviation Halls of Fame during a ceremony and dinner at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh.The 2023 inductees include: • EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame: Neal Loving (posthumous) • International Aerobatic Club Hall of Fame: Lew Shattuck of Yelm, Washington • Warbirds of America Hall of Fame: Chuck Greenhill (posthumous) • Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame: John Parish Sr. of Tullahoma, Tennessee • EAA Ultralights Hall of Fame: Paul Mather of Saint Elmo, Alabama The EAA Sport Aviation Halls of Fame were established to honor the outstanding achievements of men and women in aviation who share the spirit of EAA and its community. Those inducted into the halls of fame are selected by their peers for myriad contributions made to their respective areas of aviation.In addition, Jim Casper of Oshkosh received the Henry Kimberly Leadership Award that recognizes Oshkosh area residents for volunteer service to EAA. Casper is a longtime volunteer EAA Aviation Museum docent and volunteer. EAA HALLS OF FAME 2023 INDUCTEES HOMEBUILDERS HALL OF FAMEPaul Loving and Michelle Landers Neal Loving (posthumous): Born in 1916 in Detroit, Michigan, Loving's passion for aviation began at an early age. He took his first flight at age 14, enrolled in an aircraft mechanics course in high school, and began learning to fly in 1938 despite difficulties finding a school that would accept Black students. Three years later, Loving designed the S-1 glider. In 1944, both of Loving's legs were amputated as a result of a crash, but did not let his disability get in the way of his aviation passion. He went on to design his most well-known aircraft, the WR-1, also known as Loving's Love, which is now on display at the EAA Aviation Museum. He became an EAA member in 1953 and won the Most Outstanding Design Award for the WR-1 at the 1954 EAA Fly-In Convention. Loving died in December 1998.VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME John Parish Sr. (EAA 43943): Parish's pilot journey began in high school and college where he juggled being a student with learning to fly. In 1964, he bought his first airplane, a Cherokee 180 and began attending fly-ins across the country. Over time, Parish grew an affinity for one airplane in particular, the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. Parish was finally able to purchase one of his own in 1970. Parish became continuously more involved with the International Staggerwing Club and in 1973, John and his wife Charlotte helped establish the Staggerwing Museum Foundation, now known as the Beechcraft Heritage Museum, in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Parish's involvement with EAA has included serving on the organization's board for more than 30 years, and working as director and vice president of the EAA Aviation Foundation.INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB HALL OF FAME Lew Shattuck (EAA 88175): Before getting started in aerobatics, Shattuck enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1952, where he gained experience flying many different military fighter aircraft. In the summer of 1966, Shattuck was captured after his F-105 was shot down in North Vietnam and was held as a prisoner for more than six years before being released. He retired from the Air Force in 1976 as a full Colonel. Despite an eye injury suffered during his time in captivity, Shattuck wanted to continue flying. He purchased a Pitts Special and began practicing aerobatics. Shattuck won the Pitts Cup trophy in the 1978 IAC Championships. He continued to fly in competitions until 2018 at the age of 85. Shattuck also served as a mentor for pilots and judges for many years.WARBIRDS OF AMERICA HALL OF FAME??Chuck Greenhill's family Charles "Chuck" Greenhill (posthumous): Greenhill's involvement in warbird restoration began soon after his time serving in the U.S. Army. His skills as a tool and die maker helped bring warbird aircraft back to life. Working alongside his wife Bev, they restored warbirds back to their original condition. Notable among his numerous restoration projects is the only surviving Grumman J2F-4 Duck from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Greenhill's restorations frequently appeared at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh during the 2000s and 2010s, earning him 2007 World War II Grand Champion, 2003 and 2005 Reserve Grand Champion, and the 2014 Preservation award. He also used his aviation passion to inspire the next generation by attending fly-ins and letting children see his aircraft up close and learn about their importance in American history. Greenhill died in April 2022.ULTRALIGHTS HALL OF FAME Paul Mather (EAA 154506): Paul Mather began flying in 1974 at age 18 and has flown a variety of ultralights,including hang gliders and Quicksilver footlaunch models. In 1980, Mather landed a job with Quicksilver, primarily in sales and marketing with the goal of establishing a dealer network. His work took him across the globe, as he became an international representative in 1982. One of Mather's greatest achievements came in 1984 when he flew a MXL II aircraft nonstop from Annaba, Algeria, to Monaco over the Mediterranean Sea, setting multiple FAI records. Mather left Quicksilver in 1995 to start his own venture, M-Squared Aircraft, which produces a variety of aircraft including the Breese-XL, a part 103 ultralight vehicle. Mather also became a Designated Airworthiness Representative for the FAA in 2008, having certificated more than 500 LSA and amateur-built aircraft.