The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) has named Herbert W. “Bill” Powley as the 2023 inductee into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame.
Powley, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and founder of the nonprofit FLIGHT Foundation, was chosen by a selection committee for Hall of Fame membership, joining an elite group of individuals who have been recognized for their significant contributions to flight instruction. An induction ceremony will be held July 27 at 8 a.m. during the NAFI membership breakfast at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
“We are honored to induct Lt. Col Powley into the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame,” said NAFI Chairperson Karen Kalishek. “His lifelong dedication to flight instruction and aviation safety has touched thousands of lives and serves as an inspiration to flight instructors everywhere.”
Powley graduated from the Air Force Academy and served for more than 23 years as a fighter pilot, flight instructor and test pilot. He served two tours in Vietnam, flying 347 missions in the F-4 Phantom and A-7 Corsair.
After retiring from the Air Force in 1991, Powley founded the nonprofit FLIGHT Foundation (Flight Lesson Instructional Grants Helping Teens) and has personally raised over $1.9 million, NAFI said. Based in Unicoi, Tennessee, the foundation since April 1992 has flown 12,511 students on 4,484 orientation flights, most flown by Powley and most for free.
Powley received the Career Contributions to Aviation Award—Tennessee’s highest aviation recognition—in 2011, and two years later was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.
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