The Lone Star Flight Museum Celebrates Aviation with the Class of 2025 and Marking 100 Members.
HOUSTON, Texas (April 7, 2025) – The Lone Star Flight Museum (LSFM) is set to host the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame (TAHOF) Induction Ceremony & Luncheon on Friday, April 11, at 11:30 a.m.
The TAHOF Class of 2025 includes Al Cisneros, Jeannie Leavitt, and Tammie Jo Shults. This ceremony and luncheon will be held at the Lone Star Flight Museum located at 11551 Aerospace Avenue at Houston’s Ellington Airport.
The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame was established through a resolution by the 74th Texas Legislature and signed by then Governor George W. Bush to honor and recognize Texans and Texas companies or organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of aviation. In 1997, the first class, which included Lloyd Bentsen, President George H.W. Bush, Beryl Erickson, and Joe Kilgore were inducted. This remarkable Class of 2025 marks a significant milestone, now boasting 100 members of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame.
Members of the hall of fame are featured in one of four categories: Trailblazers & Explorers, Military Aviators, Leaders, and Entrepreneurs & Innovators. The 2025 Texas Aviation Hall of Fame inductees join an impressive list of members including Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and George W. Bush, the Doolittle Raiders, Tuskegee Airmen, Bessie Coleman, Eileen Collins, Gene Cernan, Gene Kranz and many more.
Anna Hawley, president and chief executive officer of the museum, said, “We are both excited and honored to recognize this year’s inductees into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. The professional accomplishments of the class of 2025 are part of the ongoing advancement of the aviation industry. The year 2025 will also mark 100 members of the hall of fame and for the first time, this year’s inductees all have a personal or professional connection with one another! It will be an incredible event. We thank our generous event sponsors, and the entire organization is eager to congratulate the newest members of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony on April 11.”
2025 INDUCTEES INCLUDE:
Al Cisneros
A decorated Vietnam War veteran and Blue Angel pilot, Al Cisneros flew 154 successful combat missions and earned 12 Air Medals including two individual medals and several commendation medals and a Bronze Star. In 1974, Cisneros joined the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron as the show narrator and in 1975, Cisneros became the first Hispanic pilot for the Blue Angels and flew in the left-wing pilot and slot positions. Cisneros served 11 years with the Navy and went onto become a commercial airline captain for nearly 30 years, flying for both Continental Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Jeannie Leavitt
An outstanding leader and exceptional pilot, Major General Jeannie Leavitt became the U.S. Air Force’s first female fighter pilot, flying the F-15E Strike Eagle in 1993. As a colonel, she was the first woman to command an Air Force combat fighter wing and logged more than 3,000 flight hours, including over 300 hours of combat flying in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning countless medals and commendations. General Leavitt remains a strong advocate for women and encourages them to pursue careers in aviation.
Tammie Jo Shults
Tammie Jo Shults’ passion to become a pilot was fueled by the jets roaring over her childhood home and a chance meeting in graduate school with a female U.S. Air Force pilot. In 1985, she became a flight instructor for the T-2 Buckeye and the A-7 Corsair and became one of the first female naval pilots to qualify in the F/A-18 Hornet and flew training missions during Operation Desert Storm. In 1995, Shults transitioned to the Navy Reserve where she flew the F-18 and EA-6B Prowler. Shults later became a captain for Southwest Airlines and was known for her piloting skills, leadership, and calm under pressure as demonstrated in her successful landing of the crippled Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, saving 148 passengers and crew.
Underwriters for the 2025 induction ceremony and luncheon include:
- Award Sponsor: Friend of Lone Star Flight Museum, The Patricia Jayne Keefer Foundation, Bette and Ralph Thomas
- Gold Sponsors: Hillwood Development Company, Jane and Charles Szalkowski
- Silver Sponsors: Patrice and Ed Noel, Oaks Academy, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Tavaero Jet Charter, TechTrans International, Texas Southern University
- VIP Sponsors: Angel Flight South Central, The Cisneros Family, DYNO Oil Group, Jeanie Engle, Harco Aviation, LLC, Linda and Barry Hunsaker, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Matthew Noll, Mary and David Novelli, Nancy and The Honorable Pete Olson, Deborah J. Rihn-Harvey, Megan and Jason Ryan, Southwest Airlines, Ellen and Robert Wagnon
About the Lone Star Flight Museum
The Lone Star Flight Museum (LSFM) is a 501c3 aviation museum and STEM learning center with a mission to celebrate flight and achievements in Texas aviation as well as educate and engage our youth through science, technology, engineering and math. The 130,000 square foot museum is home to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, and a flying collection of rare and historic commercial, general aviation and military aircraft.
Guests can experience the wonder of flight in a warbird ride and get hands-on in the Flight Academy and Flight Simulator Bay. Multiple public and STEM-focused education programs create an unforgettable museum experience for visitors of all ages.
Located at Ellington Airport, just 20 minutes from downtown Houston, LSFM is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday Noon – 5 p.m. Tickets start at $12 with senior and military discounts. Free Museum Days presented by ExxonMobil every Tuesday – online registration required. Memberships are also available. For details, visit lonestarflight.org or call 346-708-2517. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
