WYOMING – The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame has announced the 2020 inductees. In honor of the 25th anniversary, two individuals have been selected, Doyle Vaughan, of Jackson and Daniel J. Hawkins, of Greybull.
Doyle Vaughan began flying in Texas, in the 1950s. He came to Wyoming, where beginning in 1969, he operated a fixed-base operation at the Johnson County Airport in Buffalo. In April 1973 Vaughan joined a new company, Southwest Airlines, as their eighteenth pilot.
In 1984 the Vaughan family moved to Jackson, Wyoming. Vaughan advocated for Southwest to serve Jackson Hole and in 1985 he flew the first Southwest flight into Jackson. He flew for Southwest until he reached the Age 60 Rule in 1993. While at Southwest, he logged more than 18,000 hours in the Boeing 737. Vaughan also was a charter pilot for Jackson Hole Aviation.
After retirement, Doyle Vaughan remained active in aviation by promoting flying in the area. He worked closely with Wyoming Senator John Barrasso for support of the Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilot Act that was passed by Congress in 2007, raising the commercial pilot retirement age to 65. He served on the Jackson Hole Airport Board from 1999-2009. He also served on the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission from 2009-2020.
Daniel J. Hawkins operated highly specialized aerial services, including mountain flying, firefighting, search and rescue, surveying and hauling. Hawkins was also a highly experienced helicopter pilot and a pioneer in the field. He was co-owner of Hawkins & Powers Aviation Inc., Sky Aviation, Powell Aviation, and Big Horn Airways in Sheridan.
In 2000, he received the Helicopter Association International’s prestigious Robert E. Trimble Memorial Award for his mountain flying accomplishments and innovations and, in 2006, the Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding service to the civil helicopter community.
Hawkins had numerous memorable moments in a helicopter, including placing a bison monument on top of Cedar Mountain, west of Cody, to mark the site where Buffalo Bill Cody wished to be buried. He also appeared as the helicopter pilot in the 1968 John Wayne movie, Hellfighters, filmed near Casper.
Doyle Vaughan logged more than 28,000 flying hours. He passed away on Oct. 7, 2020. Daniel J. Hawkins logged more than 30,000 flight hours in his 60 years of flying. He passed away on June 28, 2006.
The Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame is a non-profit, publicly supported, tax-exempt organization dedicated to honoring individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the establishment, development, and/or advancement of aviation in Wyoming.
