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| Otto W. Timm 1893 - 1978 Born in Lakefield, MN, Timm raced automobiles as a teen. He soon moved to Chicago where he began designing and building airplanes. He associated with the great early flyers such as Lincoln Beachey, Max Lillie and Katherine Stinson, and flew his own airplanes in exhibitions. He returned to MN as a barnstormer prior to WWI. During the war, he worked as a military flight instructor and after the war, remained in CA creating aircraft of his own design. In 1928 he incorporated the O.W. Timm Aircraft Company at Glendale. He survived the depression building aircraft for the Navy and one of his designs, made entirely of molded plywood, was used as a military training plane. During WWII his company built gliders under contract for the Army. During his career Timm designed and flew 13 of his own designs, patented the first tricycle landing gear for transport aircraft, and devised the static testing of aircraft components that is in use today. He was the inspiration for engine designer Bertram Kinner's introduction to aviation and was the pilot who gave Charles Lindberg his first airplane ride in 1922.Inducted 2003 |
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| Eugene A. Trowbridge 1918 -1994 Montana native Eugene Trowbridge attended Cretin High School in St. Paul, obtained a music degree from the Minneapolis College of Music and played in several bands before entering the military. He became a marine pilot in 1942 flying an F-4F Wildcat fighter for the VMF-223. The day after he arrived at Guadalcanal on March 20, 1942, Trowbridge shot down two Japanese aircraft. He shot down another the next day and two more the next day, becoming an ace in three days. He later survived a mid-air collision over his own airstrip. After he recovered from his injuries, he taught fighter tactics. In 1945 he went to China as a squadron commander. After the war Trowbridge taught music at Cretin, Robbinsdale and Edina High Schools. He retired in 1979. Inducted 2002 |
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| Gary Underland 1934 Born in Owatonna, Minnesota. Underland soloed in 1956. He began his aviation career as a crop sprayer, worked on aircraft maintenance and gave flying instruction. Later, he formed a close association with entrepreneur Buzz Kaplan and flew with Kaplan on many long distance flights, including those to Siberia, the Arctic Circle and Europe. Underland maintained the Kaplan airplanes and managed construction of several vintage seaplane recreations basically from drawings. Along the way, Underland’s natural engineering talents also saw many other antiques restored, both Kaplan’s as well as his own. Underland worked with and mentored many young aviators to teach them flying and to build their own aircraft. Inducted 2006 |
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