Tag: Induction Dinner

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General Meridian Teterboro

Meridian Attends NJ Hall of Fame Induction Dinner

The Meridian team attends the 47th Annual Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ.

We at Meridian are proud to support our friends at the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum. Last week, the organization held its 47th Annual Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ, the first time in three years due to the pandemic. This year, five inductees were admitted into the Hall of Fame: Dr. Eugene Richardson, Lt. Col. Edward Ballanco, Michael Castania, Dorothy Johanna Fulton (Slinn), and William Thomas Watkinson, Jr. For more information about these aviation pioneers, click here to read their bios in Horizons, the event program. http://ow.ly/XQ4r50LxMv2

Founded in 1972 and located at Teterboro Airport, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State’s distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage. The men and women, whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought world-wide recognition to the state, are enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

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General

Meridian Honors New Jersey Aviators into Hall of Fame

On Monday, October 1, 2019, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey held its 46th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ. This tribute dinner honors local aviation pioneers and subsidizes the Hall of Fame and Museum, on Fred Wehran Drive in Teterboro, NJ. It is one of the museum’s biggest fund-raising events of the year.

Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey preserves the Garden State’s distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage. Men and women, whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought worldwide recognition to the state, are inducted into the Hall of Fame every year.

Meridian is a proud supporter of the museum and attends the Hall of Fame induction dinner every year. Ken Forester, Sr., who founded Meridian with Bob Hewitt back in 1946, was inducted in 2008. This year, the company filled a table of 10 with representatives from different departments, including the FBO, Charter, and Maintenance. The colleagues were there to support the inductees on their big night, and to enjoy an evening with their Teterboro Airport neighbors.

This event recognized four individuals, connected to New Jersey, who have each contributed to advancing human flight. You can read their bios below.

Congratulations to all of the 2019 Aviation Hall of Fame Inductees!

Charles “Chuck” Howard – Decorated Vietnam Army Helicopter combat, dual rated instructor and test pilot, 25 years of service to the Port Authority of NY/NJ, having retired as Chief Pilot of the helicopter unit with more than 19,000 flight hours. Enlisted PA, NY & NJ in the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Developed Regional Hospital Helipad Directory which was used as a national standard. Regional advisor for new hospital helipad planning. Developed helicopter paths for FAA charts. Developed in-flight training program for FAA Air Traffic Controllers. Coordinated multi-state 9/11 helicopter response. Served as Marine One Presidential Helicopter Unit Advisor. Interacted with CIA, FBI, DEA, FAA, NASA, Secret Service and others impacting multiple areas of operations. Transported many heads of state, high level political, military and cabinet staff members. NJAHOF Trustee and Wings & Wheels Co-Chair for several years.

Stephen Pope – A New Jersey resident his entire life, Steve began as an “airport kid,” attaining his pilot ratings at the minimum age and working as a refueler/line boy at airports, including Teterboro, while he was still a teenager. After a successful career at Aviation International News, a Midland Park, New Jersey based aviation publication, Steve joined the staff of Flying Magazine. His hard work and talent resulted in Steve being promoted to Editor-in-chief where he directly supervised the magazine’s staff of full time employees plus numerous freelance writers and photographers. Steve is also very dedicated to the aviation community as a whole: he is a trustee at the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, a Selection Committee Member for the Harrison Ford Legacy in Aviation Award, as well as a past Chairman of Aviation Expo. Steve has one seven Aerospace Journalist of the Year category awards and was named overall Aerospace Journalist of the Year in 2007 when the award was presented at the Paris Air Show. Steve has won the NBAA Gold Wing Journalism Award three times. He is also a Trustee for the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey.

Webster Todd – Lives in Oldwick, he learned to fly at Somerset in 1959. Constructed Princeton Airport 1965. Former President of Princeton Airways, was Special Assistant to Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and then Deputy Special Assistant to President Richard Nixon, Chairman of the National Transportation Board (NTSB) 1977-78, Vice-President Public Affairs for ITR Airlines (d/b/a Frontier Commuter), Senior Vice President – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Has been a pilot for 60 years. Ratings include Certificated Flight Instructor CFII/MEI/SES. Sister is Christine Todd Whitman, former NJ Governor. In addition to spending his entire career in the advancement of aviation and aviation safety, Webster has also been a visiting professor of Aviation at New Jersey universities as well as Ohio State University.

Peter Zaccagnino – Born in New Brunswick, NJ, earned his Undergraduate Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. One of his projects was restoring eight airplanes and building three others. He has flown over 23,000 hours in 260+ aircraft types, including one of his pigets, and tested over 670 aircraft, including 32 prototypes. Pete’s company manages corporate jets. 18 years of racing a Reno have included the finish line win, 2015 Jet Gold Champion, the 2013 Jet Gold Champion at 509 mph, and the fastest qualifying lap at 529 mph. In 2007, he became the Gold Champion in the Sport Class. He is also the owner of High-Performance Aircraft Group, performing flight test services for several manufacturers. Latest endeavors include aviation filming/production. He has produced and been involved with multiple Discovery Channel and Smithsonian Channel pieces and documentaries. Pete is also a retired professor of aerodynamics, meteorology and aviation history. Peter has also been for many years leading humanitarian efforts for our wounded warriors and spearheading flying doctors to provide medical care to Guatemalan orphanages, the Amazon, as well as remote portions of Peru.

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General Uncategorized

Meridian Honors New Jersey Aviators into Hall of Fame

Meridian shows its support for the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame at the 43rd Annual Induction Dinner. The ceremony was held on September 27, 2016 at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ.
Meridian shows its support for the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame at the 43rd Annual Induction Dinner. The ceremony was held on September 27, 2016 at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ.

Wood-Ridge, NJ – On Tuesday, September 27, 2016, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey held its 43rd Annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ. This tribute dinner honors local aviation pioneers and financially supports the hall of fame and museum, located on Fred Wehran Drive in Teterboro, NJ. It is one of the museum’s biggest fund raising events of the year.
Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State’s distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage. Men and women whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought worldwide recognition to the state are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Meridian is a proud supporter of the museum, and representatives of the company enjoy attending the induction dinner every year. Ken Forester, Sr., who founded Meridian with Bob Hewitt back in 1946, was himself inducted into the hall of fame in 2008. His son and Meridian CEO, Ken Forester, Jr., was among those who attended the ceremony for the company.
This event recognized three individuals who are connected to New Jersey and who have each uniquely contributed to the advancement of human flight.
The 2016 NJ Hall of Fame Inductees were:
Robert J. Cenker (1948 –       )
Born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania Mr. Cenker has lived in East Windsor for the last 40 years. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers. He is an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, belongs to the Association of Space Explorers, and is a registered Professional Engineer. He is also a member of the engineering honorary society, Tau Beta Pi, and the aerospace engineering society Sigma Gamma Tau.
After receiving his MS from Penn State in 1973, Cenker was employed at RCA’s Astro Electronics Division in East Windsor. There he worked on the new field of commercial communications satellites, returned to college at Rutgers for his MS in Electrical Engineering, and became a manager in 1980. He held management positions overseeing the design of several satellites, the last being the Satcom Ku program, for which he was the Manager of Systems Engineering.
It was from this position that Cenker was selected by RCA and NASA to fly as an astronaut on the space shuttle Columbia for the launch/deployment of the Satcom Ku1 spacecraft on Space Shuttle Mission 61-C in 1986. During this flight, Mr. Cenker traveled over 2 million miles in 96 orbits and spent 146 hours in space. Cenker left RCA in 1990 and has since been consulting with various firms in the areas of spacecraft design, assembly, flight operations, and micro-gravity research.
Janine K. Iannarelli (1961 –       )
Born in Fair Lawn, Iannarelli graduated from Montclair State University in 1983 earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Iannarelli joined Amstat Corporation in 1983 as an Account Executive/Market Researcher operating exclusively in the business aviation industry. In 1984, she joined Aerosmith/Penny, Inc., an international business aircraft dealer specializing corporate jet sales, where she became Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In 1997, Iannarelli founded Par Avion Ltd., an international jet brokerage and consultancy firm based in Houston with an office in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
With over 30 years of experience, Iannarelli is considered a pioneer among women in business aviation. She is a highly-regarded “industry icon” and business aviation advocate. Her extensive experience selling Dassault jets has earned her the nickname “The Falcon Lady.” The Fort Worth Business Press named Iannarelli a “Great Woman of Texas” in 2011. She appeared on the cover of the November/December 2013 issue of Aviation for Women Magazine. Iannarelli was named among four finalists for the 2015 Texas Business Woman of the Year Award by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Texas and a 2016 Woman on the Move by Texas Executive Women.
In 2014, Iannarelli was appointed to the Governor of Texas’s Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee and named presiding officer in 2016. She is a member of and volunteer with European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and Women in Aviation, International. She supports charities that benefit children and animals. As a sought-after speaker and mentor to youth and women’s organizations, she often shares insights on career development, entrepreneurship, and perseverance.
William McE. Miller, Jr. (1926 –       )
A longtime resident of Princeton, Miller was born in Iran to missionary parents. His abiding passion for aviation began early in childhood. At 18 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a Naval Aviator during the immediate post-war period. Miller flew Grumman F-4U Corsair fighters off the carrier U.S.S. Kearsarge and from the Naval Air Station in Willow Grove, PA.
After earning a Masters at Princeton Theological Seminary he was employed in international Christian missions’ work, as well as projects involving Australian Aboriginal art until 1967 when he was asked to lead a start-up aviation technology company named Aereon. Aereon was well-known in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s for its efforts to develop a commercially viable “Aerobody,” a trail-blazing, cargo-carrying hybrid of the rigid airship and the airplane. In 1973 a book by New Yorker magazine writer John McPhee, “The Deltoid Pumpkinseed,” popularized the company’s efforts to test small-scale models of the aerobody and put it into series production as the “DYNAIRSHIP.”
While under Miller’s multi-decade leadership, Aereon successfully pursued Project Tiger, the construction and flight testing of a piloted prototype aerobody, the Aereon 26. The company also developed the WASP (Wide Aperture Surveillance Platform), and conducted DynASTOL contract research on a military version of the aerobody for the defense department. In the 21st century, several large defense contractors announced aerobody projects of their own thus vindicating Miller’s long time dedication to the concept.
One of his alma maters, McCallie School, gave Miller its 50 years Distinguished Service Award in 1994.

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General

Meridian Honors Inductees into NJ Aviation Hall of Fame

The Meridian table at the NJ Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. (l to r): Anthony Banome, Betsy Wines, Andrew Ladouceur, Jr., Andrew Ladouceur, John Langschultz, Ken Forester Sr., and Kirk Stephen.
The Meridian table at the NJ Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. (l to r): Anthony Banome, Betsy Wines, Andrew Ladouceur, Jr., Andrew Ladouceur, John Langschultz, Ken Forester Sr., and Kirk Stephen.

Wood-Ridge, NJ – On Tuesday, October 7, 2014, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey held its 42nd Annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood-Ridge, NJ. This tribute dinner honors local aviation pioneers and financially supports the hall of fame and museum, located on Fred Wehran Drive in Teterboro, NJ. It is one of the museum’s biggest fund raising events of the year.
Founded in 1972, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State’s distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage. Men and women whose outstanding aeronautical achievements have brought worldwide recognition to the state are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Meridian is a proud supporter of the museum, and representatives of the company enjoy attending the induction dinner every year. Ken Forester, Sr., who founded Meridian with Bob Hewitt back in 1946, was himself inducted into the hall of fame in 2008. He was also in attendance on Tuesday evening.
This event recognized three individuals who are connected to New Jersey and who have each uniquely contributed to the advancement of human flight.
The NJ Hall of Fame 2014 Inductees were:
Maj. Joseph Crecca (Born 1940)
Born and raised in New Jersey, Crecca graduated from Bloomfield High School and went on to earn a B.S. degree from Newark College of Engineering in 1962. He entered the USAF in 1964 and began flight training. He finished Officer’s Training School as a Distinguished Military Graduate. After being certified as an F-4C Phantom Weapons Systems Officer, Crecca shipped out to Vietnam in July of 1966. In November of that year, after flying 87 combat missions, his aircraft was shot down over enemy territory by a Surface to Air missile. He was captured and spent the next six years and three months incarcerated by the North Vietnamese; including time spent in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” P.O.W. camp. After release in 1973 Crecca went through jet requalification in the T-38 and then became an F-4E pilot. For the next four years he was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida where, in addition to flying, he held a number of leadership positions.
In 1978 Crecca left the Air Force to become a commercial pilot. He received a position at Flying Tigers and went on to fly the DC-8 and 747. In 1989 Flying Tigers was merged into Federal Express. At Federal Crecca flew MD-11’s as First Officer and Captain. After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 for pilots he continued as a Flight Engineer on DC-10’s before retiring in 2005.
Medals awarded to Crecca include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, eight Air Medals, two Purple Hearts, the Prisoner of War Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of gallantry with Palm.
Cpt. Kenneth T. Ham (Born 1964)
Hailing from Plainfield, Ham graduated from the Naval Academy in 1987 with a degree in aerospace engineering. He later earned an M.S. in the same subject from the Naval Postgraduate program. After being commissioned an officer Ham was assigned to the NASA-JSC Zero-g flight research program at Ellington Field in Houston. In 1989 he became a Naval Aviator and reported to Florida’s NAS Cecil Field where he trained on F/A-18’s prior to joining the Privateers of VFA-132, and later the Gunslingers of VFA-105. He completed two carrier deployments involving combat missions over Northern Iraq and Bosnia. During this time Ham served as Air Wing Strike Leader. Following this posting he became a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and test flew the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.
In 1998 he was selected to be a NASA astronaut. Ham’s first spaceflight was aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-124 mission in 2008. He served as pilot and spent nearly two weeks in orbit, including a docking with the International Space Station (ISS). In 2010 Ham was Mission Commander of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-132 mission, also to the ISS. By the close of this mission Ham had logged a combined total of 24 days in space. After leaving NASA he became Chair of Aerospace Engineering at Annapolis, only recently departing to join a commercial spaceflight company.
Ham is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Association of Space Explorers. He has logged over 6,000 hours piloting more than 40 aircraft types and has made more than 300 carrier landings.
Lt. Col. Jay Zeamer, Jr. (1918-2007)
A childhood resident of Orange, Zeamer was an Eagle Scout by age 13. In 1940 he graduated from M.I.T. with a degree in civil engineering. Already an Army reservist with an interest in aviation, Zeamer joined the active force in 1940 and graduated from flight school in 1941. Stationed in New Guinea at the time of Pearl Harbor Zeamer became a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot. By May 1943 he had already won two Silver Stars on combat flights.
On June 16th, 1943 Zeamer was in command of a B-17 photo-reconnaissance mission over Japanese-held Bougainville. On the return flight his aircraft was intercepted by an estimated 17 enemy fighters. In a 45-minute running battle he and his crew shot down at least five aircraft despite eight airmen, including Zeamer, being wounded. The B-17 was heavily damaged, losing both oxygen and hydraulic systems. Despite being severely injured, and drifting in and out of consciousness, he directed his crew to a safe landing at a base 580 miles away. For this action Zeamer was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor along with his bombardier, the one casualty of the mission.
After the war Zeamer earned a Masters degree in aeronautical engineering from M.I.T. and worked as an engineer for Pratt & Whitney, Hughes Aircraft, and Raytheon before retiring in 1968. When he passed away in 2007 he was the last living USAAF Medal of Honor recipient.
In addition to the Medal and the Silver Stars Zeamer was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals.

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General

Meridian Honors Aviation Pioneers at Hall of Fame Induction Dinner

NJAHOF Logo
Wood Ridge, NJ – On the evening of Tuesday, October 15, 2013, the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey held its 41st Annual Induction Dinner at the Fiesta Ballroom in Wood Ridge, NJ. The event honored three aviation pioneers hailing from the Garden State. This year’s honored guests included: Timothy Chopp, founder of the Berlin Airlift Historical foundation; Neil Nederfield, nationally honored aviation maintenance safety expert; and Lt. Col. Thomas Robert Vaucher, WWII B-29 Superfortress commander. Meridian proudly supports the NJAHOF, which sent ten representatives from the company to the gala, including Kenneth Forester, Sr., who was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008.

For more information about the Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey, visit their website at www.njahof.org.