WHEN: 6 p.m., Thursday, November 12, 2009

WHERE: 3301 East Roosevelt Road, Little Rock, AR 72206

Located on Roosevelt Road across from the Little Rock National Airport

BACKGROUND: The Aerospace Education Center (AEC) and the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society will induct Greg Arnold, President and CEO of TAC Air, Inc.; and Billy G. Edens, a World War II fighter ACE from Tyronza, Arkansas, into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. at the AEC on Thursday, November 12.

Tickets to the event are $125 or $1,250 for a table of ten. Attendees will enjoy a four-course meal and presentations on both inductees. Funds raised as a result of the Aviation HOF ceremony support educational pursuits of the AEC.

About Greg Arnold

Greg Arnold is President/CEO of Truman Arnold Companies (TAC), a privately-owned national petroleum marketing and aviation services company started by Truman Arnold in 1964. According the Arkansas Business, TAC is Arkansas’ largest privately-owned business. With 13 TAC Air fixed-base operator locations, TAC Air is nationally-recognized as one of the premier chains of operations in the country. TAC employs more than 500 associates with sales and distribution exceeding two billion gallons annually.

Active in both industry and civic activities, Arnold continually achieves a winning balance among the many different TAC divisions and business interests. Greg has served as President of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association, president of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, and most recently completed a term as chair of the board of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), one of the aviation industry’s leading advocacy organizations.

About Col. Billy G. Edens

Billy Gene Edens graduated from Tyronza High School on June 1, 1942 and joined the Army Air Corps on June 27, 1942. He retired in 1974 after almost 32 years of service. He is a veteran of 83 combat missions in Europe during World War II, 123 combat missions in Korea and 36 combat missions in the Dominican Republic. He further served two to tours in Vietnam.

While flying P-47s for the 56^th Fighter Group in England, Col. Edens attained “ACE” status by destroying eight German aircraft in the air, probably destroying another five, and damaging 21 in air-to-air combat. He was shot down four times and escaped three; however, he was captured and spent the last months of World War II in a prisoner of war camp. When the camp was liberated by the Russians, Col. Edens was brought into the Russian Army, given command of 200 soldiers, and proceeded with the Russians to Berlin.

In 1953, Col. Edens was squadron commander of a newly-formed Wing equipped with F-84 jet fighters. He was part of the first oceanic crossing with air-to-air refueling from the United States to Europe, thus earning the unit the coveted Mackay Trophy.

Col. Edens worked directly for Gen. Westmoreland as chief of Special Operations and Requirements in Siagon in 1966. His decorations include the Silver Star, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, 13 air medals, two Purple Hearts and numerous unit citations.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Ann Jones at 501- 376-4629 ext. 103 or Ajones270@aol.com.

About the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame

Established in 1980 by the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society, the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame honors individuals who played a great role in the history of aviation on the national or state scene.

About the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society

The Arkansas Aviation Historical Society was founded in 1979 to preserve Arkansas aviation history and establish the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame.

About Aerospace Education Center

The Aerospace Education Center is a nonprofit organization serving as Arkansas’s center for aerospace education and promotion, an aviation museum, GiantScreen movie theater and EpiSphere planetarium.

World of the Pharohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed!

The exhibit explores the long-vanished world of ancient Egypt. This Egyptian exhibition is the first ever held in Arkansas. More than 200 magnificent objects, including mummies, a majestic colossus of Ramses the Great, Egyptian art, jewelry, statues, sculptures, and funerary artifacts, tell the story of not just how the Egyptians died, but how they lived!

World of Pharaohs is presented by the Arkansas Arts Center in cooperation with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which is recognized as having one of the world’s finest collections of Egyptian artifacts.

For more information visit: http://pharaoh.arkarts.com

Bring proof of purchase for World of the Pharaohs exhibition tickets and receive $2.00 off adult admission (13 to 59) for Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs.

(This offer is not valid with any other discounts or promotions).

HONORING:

Dennis R. Gardisser, Ph. D., P.E.

Adolphus H (Pat) Bledsoe, Jr.

Zemery Malvern (Jack) Stell

Dennis was born and raised on a relatively large dairy farm in NW Arkansas. After graduating high school and attend computer operating school, he spent four years in the USMC. Twenty-seven months were spent in Vietnam - flying as a crewmember on EC-121 Constellation and P-3 Orion AWAC aircraft. Dennis will retire with over 30 year’s service from his duties as Associate Department Head – Extension Engineer of the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture – Cooperative Extension Service in January 2009.

Dennis has been working with the agricultural aviation industry since the mid 70s. His Ph.D. dissertation studied the design parameters of fertilizer spreaders - “Computer Simulation of Dry Material Distribution Patterns from Agricultural Aircraft”. Dennis was a partner with WRK, Incorporated and now owns and operates WRK of Arkansas. WRK has been a leader in the development of agricultural aircraft analysis equipment, software, and techniques. Dennis has traveled all over the world working with applicators and providing chemical application training to a variety of groups. WRK has trained more than 95% of all S.A.F.E. analysts, with the next session being planned for September 2009. WRK’s expertise has been utilized in oil spill, mosquito, biological, boll weevil, fire fighting, forest re-seeding, illegal crop control, and other applications. Dennis conducts 20 to 30 fly-ins and numerous pesticide application workshops annually. Dennis has also been very active on several NAAA committees, including S.A.F.E. and the PAASS content committee, and has helped develop several of the recent PAASS training modules.

Adolphus H (Pat) Bledsoe, Jr.

Adolphus H (Pat) Bledsoe, Jr.

Zemery Malvern (Jack) Stell

Zemery Malvern (Jack) Stell

PAUL IRVING “PAPPY” GUNN

Scott E. Parazynski, M.D.

PAUL IRVING “PAPPY” GUNN

Born in Quitman, AR, “Pappy” Gunn enlisted in the Navy at the end of WWI and became an enlisted aviator, but he was retired and operating a small airline in the Phillipines when WWII erupted.

Nathanial Gunn

Nathanial Gunn accepted the HOF award in honor of “Pappy” Gunn.

Scott E. Parazynski M.D.