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Long Island Air and Space Hall of Fame Luncheon
Online ticketing has closed, please call reservations at 516-572-4066, Mon-Fri from 10-4.
You are cordially invited to attend the 12th Annual Luncheon of the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s
Long Island Air & Space Hall of Fame
presented by GSE Dynamics, Inc.
Honoring
The Induction Class of 2024
Dayton T. Brown Sr.
Dayton T. Brown Jr.
Fernando ‘Frank’ Caldeiro
Jaqueline ‘Jackie’ Cochran
Monday, June 10, 2024, 12:00-2:00 PM
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Garden City, New York
Tickets $75.00* per person or $700.00 for a table of 10
or call Reservations at 516-572-4066, Mon through Fri, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Proceeds generated from the luncheon support the museum’s education and preservation programs.
About the Long Island Air & Space Hall of Fame
Each year the Long Island Air & Space Hall of Fame honors those individuals who have played a major role in advancing aeronautical and technological achievement. Your support of this exhibit and program will assist the museum in our efforts to educate school children throughout the region on the role that Long Island has played and will continue to play in aerospace history.
About the Air & Space Hall of Fame Sponsor
GSE Dynamics, Inc. is a Women-Owned Small Business and full-service engineering and manufacturing company engaged in the manufacture, assembly and testing of military mechanical and structural components and assemblies. GSE is a recognized member of the Defense Industrial Base with a consistent record of best-value pricing, delivery, quality, and technical expertise. Long Island continues to be a Regional Supply Chain Leader in this critical industry. GSE is proud to sponsor the Cradle of Aviation’s Hall of Fame in support of both the Legacy and Future of Long Island’s significant impact on our National Defense.
About the Class of 2024
Dayton T. Brown Sr.
Dayton T. Brown, Sr. (1898 – 1978) was a pioneering aeronautical engineer and founder of Dayton T. Brown, Inc.. A 1921 MIT graduate, he became Chief Engineer for the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation in Queens, where he developed the Brewster Buffalo F2A fighter. The Brewster F2A was the first all-metal monoplane fighter in the U.S. Navy. Working for Grumman in the 1940s. He was instrumental in developing the Tadpole and the Kitten – both private aircraft. After working for Grumman, he founded his firm, Dayton T. Brown, Inc., in 1950. Initially, the firm focused on sheet metal fabrication but became a vital testing laboratory for aircraft and space components.
Dayton T. Brown Jr.
Dayton T. Brown Jr. began his career after studying engineering at the University of Virginia and business at CW Post College and serving in the US Army. He joined his father’s company in 1951 as a laborer manufacturing metal cabinets for IBM. He transitioned to sales, eventually becoming Sales Manager and, later, Vice President and Manufacturing Manager. By 1969, he was named President, and after his father’s passing in 1979, Chairman. Under his tenure and leadership, the company grew into three divisions – Engineering and Test, Technical Services, and Mission Systems – supporting some of the most critical initiatives for our country’s military. Dayton T. Brown, Inc. is now a high-tech, multi-divisional corporation with employees in 38 states.
Fernando ‘Frank’ Caldeiro
Frank Caldeiro (1958 - 2009) was born in Argentina but grew up in Queens, graduating from William Cullen Bryant High School. He earned degrees from SUNY Farmingdale in Aerospace Technology and the University of Florida in Engineering. During the 1980s, he was a Test Director at Rockwell, overseeing the B-1 bomber program. Later, he worked at the Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle propulsion system and was hired by NASA in 1991, where he contributed to the launch of 52 Space Shuttle missions. Selected as an astronaut in 1996, he was initially in charge of Space Station Life Support Systems; however, he passed away in 2009 before being assigned to a space mission.
Jaqueline ‘Jackie’ Cochran
Jackie Cochran (1906 - 1980) was born in Florida and later moved to New York to become a beautician. After going on an airplane ride, she became hooked on flying and came to Long Island to learn to fly at Roosevelt Field. By 22, she had her pilot’s license, purchased a plane, and began entering air races, usually against men. By the mid-1930s, she was America’s most famous female racing pilot. She became a test and racing pilot for Seversky aircraft on Long Island. During World War II, she organized and led the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), where she trained over 1000 women to ferry military aircraft. After the war, she became the first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound and a strong advocate for women’s equality in the Air Force.
