Academy of Model Aeronautics · National Model Aviation Museum
The people, clubs and companies that built model aviation, in their own words.
Search 1,062 biographies of modelers, designers and contest fliers, plus the histories of 62 clubs and 26 companies, preserved by the AMA History Project.
- Histories
- 1,150
- Pages
- 4,653
- Earliest birth
- 1850
People under H
1–24 of 78 entries ·
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1 page
Vernon Hacker
Biography
Remembering Vernon Hacker—By: John Kagan The Indoor community lost a well-respected member, tireless supporter, and good friend when Vernon Hacker passed away this winter. Known affectionately as “Doc” or “Hack” (he was both a surgeon and a golfer), he loved model airplanes and flew them his whole life. He enjoyed competing but was even more known…
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19 pages
Henry A. Haffke
1927–2017
Career: Built display models for local stores as a youngster After his first airplane ride at age 15, took flying lessons and soloed for the first time right after he turned 16 Joined the Navy after high school and started building engine-powered models; won many prizes competing with these models after being discharged from the Navy Designed his…
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18 pages
Horace G. Hagen
1939–2022 · AMA 231
Career: 1974-1977: Member, AMA Radio Control Helicopter Advisory Committee 1977-1982: Chairman AMA Radio Control Helicopter Advisory Committee 1979-1990: Member of FAI/CIAM F3C Radio Control Helicopter Subcommittee 1982-2002: Chairman of AMA Radio Control Helicopter Contest Board 1985-2004: Chairman of F3C Team Selection Committee 1985 to present…
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2 pages
Greg Hahn
Biography
Greg Hahn Industry Professional JS: How did you get involved in model aviation? GH: I’ve been an airplane nut since before I can remember. My dad took me in the car in about 1964 and we sat off the end of Runway 30 at Dobbins Air Force Base (now a reserve base) in Georgia, and watched the C-124 Globemasters do touch-and-gos. From that time on, all…
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2 pages
Dwight Hale
Biography
Dwight Hale - - The Fledglings -by Dale K. Nelsen It warms the cockles of our hearts when we learn of someone who is an inspiration to others in modeling, especially to youngsters. Here is a small glimpse at Dwight Hale, schoolteacher extraordinary. While putting this story together, I found myself rejoicing that an RC airplane flies only because…
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5 pages Autobiography
Merrill C. Hamburg
1896–1960
Merrill C. Hamburg’s son, Merrill H. Hamburg, wrote the following letter to Hurst Bowers, at the time Curator of the National Model Aviation Museum, in 1989. Merrill C. was inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 1976. January 12, 1989 Hurst G. Bowers Academy of Model Aeronautics 1810 Samuel Morse Drive Reston, Virginia 22090 Dear Mr.…
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9 pages Autobiography
William C. (Bill) Hannan
1931– · AMA 19349
Career: Newsletter editor for the North American Aviation Flightmasters flying scale model club Vice President, Free Flight Scale, National Association of Scale Aeromodelers Research and Development for Williams Brothers, Inc., San Marcos Vice President, Free Flight Scale, National Association of Scale Aeromodelers Author and publisher of numerous…
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2 pages
Richard (Dick) M. Hansen
1932–
Dick Hansen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1932. He was eight years old when he purchased his first Comet kit, a PT-17. Dick recalled, “With two wings, I thought it was twice as good as a monoplane.” Dick’s love of biplanes, World War I aiplanes, and aircraft of the Golden Age is still strong 70 years later. In 1941, Dick moved to Portland…
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4 pages
Richard D. (Rich) Hanson
Biography
Few people make such an impact on their profession so as to be considered world-renowned in their field. Even fewer make that same impact in the field of their avocation. Rich Hanson has made that impact on model aviation through a lifetime of dedicated and professional contributions both as a volunteer on the Academy of Model Aeronautics board of…
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4 pages Autobiography
C. Leslie (Les) Hard
1913–2005 · AMA 4639
Career: The official newsletter editor at the AMA Nationals every year from 1974 - 1986 Edited the High Flight magazine of the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) for a total of eight years Honors: 1978: AMA Distinguished Service Award 1978: AMA Fellow 1998: AMA Pioneer Award 1999: Model Aviation Hall of Fame I was born at…
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1 page
William F. Harney
1925–2008
Bill’s passion for building model airplanes started at the age of nine. From that time until his death at the age of eighty-two, his life was filled to overflowing with his love of building model airplanes, flying, and competing. All his building was from scratch. He was a three time U.S. team member in international model airplane competitions, a…
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18 pages Autobiography
William Joseph (Bill) Harris
1928–2005
Modeling Career/Interests: Early U-Control flyer CO2-powered model race car driver First contest attended was the Philadelphia Flying Circus Attended the New York Mirror Meet, met Frank Ehling 1948: Flew Control Line Speed and Combat 1948: Flew a Radio Control Rudder Bug by Walt Good 1952-1969: Flew FAI Free Flight 1953-1954: Flew with the US Free…
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4 pages
Pat Hartness
Biography
When I made a call to the founder of Triple Tree Aerodrome, Mr. Pat Hartness, he was in Woodruff, South Carolina, grooming the main line on preparation for the 30th anniversary of the world’s largest outdoor RC event: Joe Nall 2012. Pat was nice enough to take a break in the shade and talk to me about the history of the Joe Nall event and to give…
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1 page
Paul Harvey
1918– · AMA 52197
Paul Harvey Honored With AMA Outstanding Service Award On November 1st, I had the great privilege (and certainly one of my greatest personal pleasures!) of giving to AMA Member Paul Harvey a plaque representing the AMA Outstanding Service Award. I was embarrassed by the fact that the engraving said “for ’72 and ‘73” but Paul understood this…
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2 pages Autobiography
Carl Hatrak
1921–2003 · AMA 1301
Career: Won third place at his first model contest in 1935 Became president of his junior high school’s model airplane club in 1935 Joined the Trenton gas model club in 1936 and helped organize a contest two years later Served as secretary/treasurer and president of the Trenton Model Aircraft Engineers prior to World War II Joined the Navy in 1942…
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15 pages
Robert L. (Bob) Hatschek
1925–2012 · AMA 647
Career: Has held US national record in Unlimited Rubber (now called Mulvihill) 1959: Flew Wakefield on US Team (with Joe Bilgri, Herb Kothe) at the World Championships in France. Won silver medal individually, team won gold Flew Nordic Glider in various non-world championship meets in Australia, Austria, England, France, and Sweden Nationals…
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2 pages
Douglas James Hayes
Biography
Douglas James Hayes of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina is the recipient of a $1,000 Sig Scholarship. Doug graduated from Roanoke Rapids High School in North Carolina and is currently attending North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering, with plans to major in either Mechanical or Material Science Engineering. Doug participated in…
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9 pages Autobiography
Elmer Dewitt Haynes III
Autobiography
Elmer Dewitt Haynes III AMA 3366 Introduction My history with modeling can be viewed with the changing of technology and model development over time. I began my journey by reading Air Trails magazines at home. I started with building cardboard airplanes, and today I am making molded carbon fiber gliders. I have been building and designing models…
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5 pages
Elmer Dewitt Haynes Jr
1929–2021
Story of Mr. Elmer Dewitt Haynes, Jr. of Denver Colorado Model builder, Engineer, Designer, Flyer First African American to serve as a Contest Director for the Colorado district CD 525 How do you tell the story of a local legend in modeling activities that was full of strife and hardships but was fulfilling none the less? Well if anyone can make…
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9 pages
Jack Womersley Headley
Biography
Jack Womersley Headley Born: Feb. 6 1929, Lytham St. Annes, England As a youth in the early 1940s, Jack Headley was a member of the Air Training Corps (ATC). The ATC was a British youth organization sponsored by the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Air Force. In 1945, the Society of British Aircraft Constructors awarded Jack a scholarship in…
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1 page
David Hecht
Biography
David Hecht, from Hauppauge, New York, will attend the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. His award of $1,000 will help him as he pursues his major in biology and chemistry. An active high school career saw David on the Student Council for two years, and a member of both the National and French Honor Societies. He was also active…
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1 page
David M. Heckman
Biography
David M. Heckman is from San Bruno, California. He graduated from Capuchino High School with a GPA of 3.91. He ranked fourth in a class of 219. David was awarded a scholarship of $2,250, which will be used to assist in enrollment in the University of California at Davis. He plans a major in aeronautical engineering. During high school, he was in…
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2 pages
Bill Heger
Biography
Content by MS, BH & JP (03/2017), Transcribed by JS (11/2017) Video link: One of the National Model Aviation Museum’s special Fly By report, Knight Twister, is on YouTube here. “In this episode of Fly By, Michael Smith, Director, sits down with Bill Heger and Jack Poppenheger to discuss the model that Bill won first place with at the 1973…
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7 pages Autobiography
Arthur Heinrich
Autobiography
Career: Competed in the second, third, fifth and sixth Mulvihill contests flying twin pushers that he designed Built his first model airplane in an effort to come up with a plan for a full-sized airplane Started to build his first full-sized airplane with his brother in the winter of 1909 Formed the Heinrich Aeroplane Company of Baldwin in 1912…