Nine men who personified advancement in aviation will be inducted into the San Diego Air and Space Museum’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 23. It’s the 47th year that achievements in historic phases of flight will be celebrated. The list of honorees include actor-pilot Harrison Ford, Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean, planner Joe Clark, General Atomics’ Linden Blue, Northrop Drummond’s Robert Mitchell, Sensor Systems Si Robin, the late adventurer Steve Fossett, and Theodore Gildred and Theodore Edmonds Gildred of Friendship Flights to Ecuador. The special guest will be Gene Cernan, last man to walk on the moon. “We’re especially pleased to honor the Class of 2010 because these pioneers have not only pushed back the frontiers of air and space exploration, they’ve also become strong, positive role models for today’s youth,” said Jim Kidrick, museum president and CEO. “Aviation and space exploration, as embodied by the people we honor in our Hall of Fame, is a metaphor for the American pioneering spirit.” He said achievements by such men should inspire today’s children to tackle the tough science, technology, engineering and math challenges which lie ahead. The Hall of Fame includes hundreds of pilots, engineers, inventors and innovators, along with adventurers, scientists, industry leaders and famous flying pioneers. Notable inductees have included Jack Northrop, William Boeing, Reuben H. Fleet, Glenn Curtiss, Walter Zable Sr., Fran Bera, Wally Schirra, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, T. Claude Ryan, Jimmy Doolittle Jr., Frederick Rohr and Waldo Waterman. Ford, winner of numerous acting awards, is a licensed pilot who, in July 2000, rescued a stranded hiker near his Wyoming ranch from his helicopter. He is spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to help promote general aviation in the U.S. transportation industry. Capt. Alan Bean, a naval test pilot, was the lunar module pilot on Apollo 12 and landed in the moon’s Ocean of Storms on the second manned lunar landing. Joe Clark helped form Aviation Partners Boeing to explore placing winglets on 737s. Today, more than 500 Boeing 737s are outfitted with blended winglets. Theodore Gildred and ambassador Ted Gildred, inspired by Charles Lindbergh, made solo Freedom Goodwill Flights from San Diego to Ecuador in 1931 and 1986. Linden Blue is vice chairman of General Atomics in San Diego and past president of the Green Foundation (geophysics and planetary physics); board member of the National Parks Foundation and chairman of the Airports and Airways Committee, General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Si Robin acquired Sensor Systems in 1970 and expanded its antenna production, acquiring military contracts for AWACS and KC-135 aircraft. Today Sensor Systems makes more than 250 types of antennas used by the majority of aircraft throughout the world. Bob Mitchell joined Northrop Drummand after the acquisition of Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical, where he had served as president. He became sector vice president for the Aerospace Systems Division. Fossett notched more than 116 records in balloons, airplanes, sailboats, gliders and airships. At least 60 of the records remain unbroken.