Alexandria, Virginia

Inducted in 2001, Donald S. Lopez was a fighter pilot during WWII.  He flew with the 23rd Fighter Group in China and became an “ace” while flying the Curtiss P-40 and North America P-51. After flying 101 combat missions, he returned to Eglin Air Base Florida as a Fighter Test Pilot for six years. He flew the F-86s during the Korean War and retired from the USAF in 1964 as an Associate Professor of Aeronautics at the Air Force Academy.  Lopez worked as an engineer on the Apollo and Skylab space programs before joining the National Air & Space Museum in 1972 as Associate Director of Aeronautics.  He currently serves as Deputy Director of the NASM and plays a pivotal role in the creation of NASM’s extension at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia.