Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society

04/07/2026

03/07/2026

03/07/2026

14/04/2026

The Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame nominations have been extended to May 15th. Application forms can be found on our website or sent to you from the office. Contact us for more information. [email protected]

23/02/2026

Check your scholarships. There are several aviation scholarships in Virginia, including the Earle Worley Scholarship offered through VAHS. Deadlines are near.

14/02/2026

06/02/2026

https://www.vahsonline.com/ #:~:text=Aviation%2C%20Aerospace%2C%20and,Changing%20of%20the

Connecting the people with the story of air and space in Virginia

05/02/2026

On Wednesday, February 4th, Richmond’s historic Main Street Station was the launchpad for the 2026 Aviation, Aerospace and Advanced Air Mobility Legislative Reception. We witnessed a night of high-flying exhibits, exciting demonstrations, and conversations that showcased the latest innovations in aviation, aerospace, and AAM in Virginia.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi, and several members of the Governor's Cabinet and the Virginia General Assembly were in attendance. Industry leaders including NASA, the Virginia Department of Aviation, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, Virginia Spaceport Authority, and many more were in attendance and presented exhibits at the event.
The Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society was well-represented at the VAHS exhibit. Chairman of the Board, Dick Genaille; Vice Chairman, Michael Schoelwer; Treasurer, Tim McSwain; and Board member, Tess Robertson greeted a long stream of visitors. The team had productive discussions with representatives from the Virginia Aviation Business Association, Civil Air Patrol, Liberty University, First Flight Society and the Virginia National Guard Museum that will likely lead to collaborative relationships and an increase in VAHS membership.

02/02/2026

Passing of Hall of Fame Alumna Gladys West, Jan 19, 2026
Folks,

We have been informed by Dr. Gladys West’s family that she died on Monday, with her family surrounding her. How special that it was on her hero’s, Mertin Luther King’s birthday.

Dr. West was a true Virginian who gave her all to her students in Mathematics and gave so much to the world and Aviation with her part in the development of GPS.
We will always honor her for all she gave us.
My favorite memory of Mrs. West was the day I called her to get information for the Hall of Fame induction in 2022. It was a Sunday, and I expected a family member to answer, but she did. I was surprised and responded “I didn’t expect you to answer the phone. Her answer was priceless: “Then, why did you call me?”…always a teacher/ always a student. Sue Baker

Legacy has her full obituary.

Dr. Gladys Mae West Born Oct. 1930 Sutherland, VA Inducted: 2022 Dr West is a mathematician whose 42-year career at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, spanned the analog to digital eras of scientific research, from 1956 to retirement in 1998. Her efforts there ranged over a wide variety of problems including the Seasat radar altimetry project for remote ocean sensing; modeling of Earth’s ellipsoidal shape. According to the Wikipedia entry on Dr. West, the model she developed ultimately led to (development of) the Global Positioning System (GPS). In 2018 she was inducted into the US Air Force Hall of Fame, by the Space Command, which called her one of the “so-called ‘Hidden Figures’ part of the team who did computing for the US military in the era before electronic systems.” At her retirement, her commanding officer said, “she likely had no idea that her work would impact the world for decades to come.” Always modest, Dr. West remarked: “When you’re working every day, you’re not thinking ‘What impact is this going to have on the world?’ You’re thinking, ‘I’ve got to get this right.’