Lexington, Kentucky, the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame will celebrate its most recent inductions on October 17, recognizing individuals and families whose contributions have helped shape aviation in the state, throughout the country, and around the world.
The individuals being inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame are Kaye Combs Moore, who has always been a pilot as well as a mentor and an advocate for women in aviation; Charles Francis Knapp, a pioneering researcher in both aerospace and biomedical engineering who made contributions to the safety of pilots and astronauts; and Captain Bee Rife Osborne, a test pilot in World War I and an aviator with the Kentucky National Guard who was the first person to fly an aircraft built in America in France.
Bill, Clay, and Nathan Hammond of the Hammond family are to be awarded the Kentucky Aviation Achievement Award in acknowledgment of their dedication over several generations to aviation education, preservation, restoration, airshow performances, and the inspiration of future aviators.
2026 Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame Inductees
Kaye Combs Moore
Kaye Combs Moore developed an early enthusiasm for aviation because she was born in Whitesburg, Kentucky, a month after Amelia Earhart disappeared on her round-the-world flight. The passion she developed from her first journey in an airplane from a grass airstrip near Cumberland, Kentucky, continued for over six decades.
On the day of her twenty-first birthday, Moore flew alone in an Aeronca Champ at Bowman Field and obtained her private pilot certificate. Her experiences in aviation took her throughout the United States and to various parts of the world, including trips to Canada, Germany, Israel, and Alaska.
Moore is a dedicated member of The Ninety-Nines, the international organization of women pilots established by Amelia Earhart, and has devoted over 60 years to supporting women in aviation through mentorship, scholarships, and service. She has been helping to get young people interested in flying for more than 25 years as part of the annual Girl Scout Aviation Day event organized by the Kentucky Bluegrass Chapter.
Her achievements include participating in the 1977 Commemorative Powder Puff Derby, being inducted into the International Forest of Friendship in Atchison, Kansas, and receiving the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2021 after more than 50 years of safe flying.
Charles Francis Knapp
Charles Francis Knapp was brought up in Evansville, Indiana, under the flight path of the local airport. He was fascinated by aircraft from an early age and was determined to understand the science of flight. When he was a teenager, he built a working wind tunnel equipped with devices to measure lift and drag, and thus gained recognition at the Indiana Tri-State Science Fair.
Knapp studied aeronautical engineering over five years at Saint Procopius College and the University of Notre Dame. While at the University of Notre Dame, he conducted pioneering research on airflow and turbulence. He was involved in the development of early remotely controlled gliding Para-Foil systems, a technology that influenced modern gliding parachutes worldwide.
He later pursued a career at the University of Kentucky, where he was among the first pioneers in biomedical engineering. By applying the principles of fluid mechanics to the human body, Knapp investigated the effects of vibration, acceleration, and gravitational forces on the circulatory system. As a result of his work, there were improvements in pilot safety, more effective G-suits, and a better understanding of how astronauts readapt to gravity following spaceflight.
While he was at the University of Kentucky for 37 years, Knapp worked as a researcher, educator, mentor, and also served as Director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering; his induction recognizes the scientific curiosity and discoveries he has made, which have linked aviation, medicine, military research, and human spaceflight.
Captain Bee Rife Osborne
Bee Rife Osborne, who was born in Midway, Kentucky, in 1886, was a quiet and capable Kentuckian, and his importance in the early days of American military aviation was much greater than many realized while he was still alive.
Before the First World War, Osborne worked as a telegraph operator for Western Union and eventually became night chief operator in Lexington. When Kentucky’s first Signal Corps in the Kentucky National Guard was set up in 1915, Osborne was one of the first to join. Because of his technical ability, calm temperament, and mechanical aptitude, he went through aviation training at the Curtiss school in Newport News, Virginia, where he became the Kentucky National Guard’s first aviator.
Osborne was the first pilot to fly an American-made DH-4 Liberty aircraft that had been assembled in France at Romorantin on May 18, 1918. The DH-4 Liberty, which was equipped with the American Liberty V-12 engine, was called ‘America’s First War Plane’. His successful test flight was a significant event in the development of American airpower in World War I.
Later, Osborne became chief test pilot and commander of the 1106th Aero Squadron, in charge of the dangerous first flights of the aircraft when they had just been assembled. After the war, he went back to Kentucky and remained interested in aviation and in the campaign to establish an aviation unit for the Kentucky National Guard.
In August 2025, Osborne was awarded posthumously the Gold Award of the Order of Saint Michael, which is the highest honor conferred by the Army Aviation Association of America; his nomination is a recognition of his fundamental role in the development of military aviation in America and of his position in the history of aviation in Kentucky.
Kentucky Aviation Achievement Award Recipients
The Hammond Family: Bill, Clay, and Nathan Hammond
The Hammond family is receiving the Kentucky Aviation Achievement Award for their exceptional contributions to aviation over several generations.
Bill Hammond’s journey into aviation did not start in an aviation family but was instead inspired by magazines that kindled a dream in him. Having studied Aviation Technology at Southern Illinois University, he went back to Kentucky to work in the field of agricultural aviation and in aircraft maintenance before joining the historic Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York, where he worked both as a mechanic, pilot, manager, and historian, just as his wife, Charlotte, did, and became deeply involved in Aerodrome life.
When Bill returned to Kentucky, he worked for the Pepsi Aerial Entertainers and eventually rose to Chief Mechanic and Ferry Pilot. In retirement, he helped found the Bluegrass Aerospace Experience in Bardstown, Kentucky, a program in which high school students construct real aircraft, gain practical technical experience and explore careers in aviation. The program has enabled students to pursue careers as aerospace engineers, mechanics, pilots, and other aviation professionals.
Bill’s sons have carried on the family tradition.
Clay Hammond, who is highly regarded as an aviator and a preservationist, has been appointed President of the Board of Trustees and is also the Chief Pilot at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. He not only flies but also helps preserve historic aircraft, such as the 1909 Blériot XI and a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis. For Clay, the importance of preserving aviation history goes beyond simply displaying the aircraft; it involves keeping them airworthy and active for future generations.
Nathan K. Hammond, is a professional pilot involved in airshows, works as a skywriter, and owns GhostWriter Airshows. As a commercial pilot and Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, he started flying when he was young and joined the Pepsi SkyDancer airshow team before creating his own special performance that includes skywriting, aerobatics, and nighttime pyrotechnics. He was awarded the distinguished Bill Barber Award for Showmanship in 2023.
The Hammond family as a whole presents aviation as a career passed down from one generation to the next, based on humility, craftsmanship, education, preservation, and the pleasure of flying.
Event Information
The induction ceremony for the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame will take place on October 17. Further details, including ticket information, the event location, and sponsorship opportunities, can be obtained by visiting www.aviationky.org.
About the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame
The Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame pays tribute to men and women whose achievements have made lasting contributions to aviation both in Kentucky and elsewhere. Through recognition, education, and the preservation of records, the Hall of Fame honors the people, stories, and innovations that continue to inspire future generations of aviators.
