WYOMING AVIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTS BOB HAWKINS
On September 8, the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame (WAHF) announced that Bob Hawkins was selected as its 2021 inductee. Bob followed in the footsteps of his father, Dan, who was inducted into the WAHF in 2020.
Hawkins flew many types of fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters for more than fifty years on highly specialized missions such as firefighting, surveying, heavy-lift hauling, high altitude mountain flying, and wildlife management. He first soloed as a high school student in 1967, studied at Casper College, and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1970 to 1974 in the 366th Field Maintenance Squadron in Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
Upon his discharge, he returned home and became a partner in the family aviation business, Hawkins & Powers in Greybull, and later served as General Manager of Sky Aviation in Worland. While at Sky, he was intimately involved in purchasing four ex-military CH-46E helicopters, two of which were converted for firefighting operations. They were the first CH-46 helicopters converted from military to civilian use. In his career, Bob logged over 21,000 hours of flight time, with 17,000 being in helicopters.
More information about Hawkins and other inductees can be found on the WYDOT website:
https://www.dot.state.wy.us/home/aeronautics/aviation_hall_of_fame.html\