Lawrenceville, Virginia

Inducted in 1978, Noel C. “Pappy” Ellis learned to fly in 1929. He came to Richmond, VA in 1932 as a flight instructor at the former Hermitage Airport and trained British pilots during WWII. After the war, he was certified as an FAA flight examiner and managed several south side Virginia airports from 1946 to 1960. During his long career, he logged more than 20,000 flying hours and became well known to air enthusiasts statewide.