Born in St. Paul, Perlt graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1925, having been a medal-winning gymnast. In 1926, he went to work for the St. Paul Association of Commerce and promoted all manner of aviation activities, including the Ford Reliability Tour stops in 1926, 1928 and 1929. He worked closely with Colonel Lewis Brittin to get the airmail contract for Northwest Airways, and became Northwest's first office manager. In 1929, Perlt lobbied the City Council to purchase land to build the St. Paul Airport and organized the St. Paul to Winnipeg Goodwill Tours. Perlt also became secretary of the St. Paul Aero Club, and an officer of both Yellow Cab Airlines and Mamer Airlines that used St. Paul as a base of operations. He remained with the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce and the Visitor's Bureau throughout his career, while working for the Brede Company. He was very well known as the announcer of the University of Minnesota's Gopher football and basketball games at Memorial Stadium and Williams Arena.

Inducted 1988

Hancock native Bud Peterson attended the University of Minnesota before joining the Army Reserve. He went through the cadet program and became a second lieutenant. He was sent to Europe to join the 357th Fighter Group, 364th Fighter Squadron. He flew 118 combat missions in P-51s and was able to score 15.5 aerial victories, tying him with Maj. Don Beerbower as the top scoring Minnesota World War II aces.

After the war Peterson studied structural engineering and architecture and became an architect.

Inducted 2000

Born in Sweden, Sven came to Minnesota in 1916. He learned to fly in the early 1920s and based himself at St. Cloud. He staged weekend airshows that brought aviation to the attention of citizens of that area. His sight-seeing flights often lasted throughout the full daylight hours. In 1933, he was appointed a district representative to the Minnesota Aeronautics Commission, supervising aerial activities in his region. He helped build the St. Cloud Northside Airport and helped start a flying club there, teaching several persons to fly. He is considered St. Cloud's foremost early flyer.

Inducted 1992

Born in Spring Valley, Minnesota, Pietenpol is Minnesota's premiere homebuilder. He learned to fly in the 1920s, constructing his first homebuilt plane in 1923 with a Ford Model T engine. In April of 1929, he brought a Model A engined airplane to Minneapolis to show to the editor of Modern Mechanics Magazine. The plane sparked interest and plans for it were published. Copies of this model, called the Air Camper, are still being built and flown today. Pietenpol also designed a single seater of similar styling, which could be powered by a Ford Model T engine. Pietenpol was a self-taught engineer who designed his own airfoils and made his own stress analysis. He taught in the CPT program before the start of World War II, and after the war, returned to his hardware business at Cherry Grove, Minnesota. He continued homebuilding activities, selling his popular plans and helping other homebuilders with their projects.

Inducted 1990

Born in Rockford, IL, Pyle grew up in Cokato, MN. He entered the Navy in 1951 and worked in the maintenance area on submarine-launched ballistic missiles. In 1955 he began a career in the Air Force during which he served as a maintenance supervisor on fighters, bombers, transports and ICBM missiles. During his 21-year military career, he worked his way up to the Air Force's highest enlisted rank of Chief Master Sergeant.

Inducted 2003