WILLIAMSBURG — Three prominent Virginians will be inducted on Nov. 4 as members of the Class of 2023 of the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame, including Williamsburg’s Thomas “Tuck” McAtee.
The induction dinner and ceremony will be conducted by the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society at Ford’s Colony Country Club in Williamsburg.
To be inducted alongside McAtee are Adrian Eichhorn, of McLean, and Cherry Evans, of North Chesterfield.
“All three inductees represent the finest traditions of the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame and reflect great credit on the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society, the profession of aviation, and the community served so ably by our inductees for decades,” Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame Chairman Tim McSwain said.
Vetting and selection of nominees are overseen by the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society (VAHS). A total of 14 individuals were nominated for consideration, and the three were selected through a rigorous vetting process.
“The VAHS Board of Directors and our selection committee took great care to review each nomination and to ensure that the most deserving in Virginia’s rich aviation community were recognized by induction into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame,” said VAHS Chairman Tom Woodburn.
Eichhorn is an accomplished aviator, flight instructor, aviation mechanic, and educator who has flown over 25,000 hours to 54 different countries. In 2016, he completed a solo flight around the world, and in 2021, he flew a nonstop solo from Iceland, across the North Pole to Alaska. His career encompasses his time as an airline corporate, government, contract military and commercial pilot.
Evans retired as director of communications and education at the Department of Education, where she worked in a wide variety of aviation and transportation initiatives, many involving state government and private industry in furtherance of aviation and air transportation in Virginia. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, she worked for the state government since 1985.
McAtee retired from a lengthy and varied career as a decorated USAF fighter pilot and test pilot and in addition co-founded a hugely successful program to enlist young people in flight training, many of them pursuant to careers in aviation.
The Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society will hold a reception and dinner marking the induction on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Ford’s Colony Country Club. The reception will take place at 5:45 p.m. and seating for dinner at 6:30 p.m.
