Special to ANN -- By Drew Steketee

Nearly 300 industry and association executives, government leaders, family, friends and former staffers gathered at the National Air and Space Museum December 12th to celebrate the life of Edward W. Stimpson, beloved aviation industry advocate.

NASM Director Gen. John R. Dailey
(Photo and 1981 Stimpson portrait by Drew Steketee)

Attending were current and former FAA administrators, a former secretary of transportation -- even the former daughter-in-law of Bob Hope, herself a much-respected Washington lobbyist. Stimpson's official GAMA portrait looked out from beneath the Spirit of St. Louis as speakers eulogized him before a meaningful backdrop: the Apollo 11 space capsule.

Stimpson's Washington career had begun in the Kennedy administration. FAA administrator Randy Babbitt recalled Stimpson's "special relationship" with every administrator back to his original FAA boss, former Pan Am chief Najeeb Halaby.

Former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta praised Stimpson's rare gift to work with lawmakers regardless of political party. "It seems to me this city would work a lot better if everyone adhered to the Ed Stimpson school of politics," said Mineta.

Russ Meyer, Chairman Emeritus Of Cessna Aircraft
(Photo by Drew Steketee)

"We went with the kid from Seattle," Russ Meyer said of Stimpson's GAMA presidency at age 36. He said Stimpson "retained that same boyish charm," a "basic goodness" throughout his career. Even when first U.S. ambassador to the U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization, Stimpson had called Meyer for directions to "that great hot fudge sundae" they had found in London on a previous trip.

Speakers said Stimpson raised America's rock-bottom standing at ICAO despite heavy post-9/11 issues and fights over jet hush-kit rules. By 2004, he was first vice-president of the ICAO Assembly.

Of careers launched by Stimpson, former GAMA counsel Stan Green praised his stewardship of industry newcomers. Some 40 such proteges attended, including Karen (Coyle) Tripp, GAMA's 1976-79 national learn-to-fly spokeswoman. 1970s GAMA PR man Jerry Boyer, now of Spearfish, South Dakota, recalled that campaign for 600,000 pilot starts. Its far-reaching Paul Harvey radio broadcasts re-introduced General Aviation to the nation post-Oil Embargo.

Green struggled to conclude the day with "High Flight," a poem now all too often called on to memorialize aviation's giants. This time, eyes could rightly gaze skyward past "the Spirit" when John Gillespie McGee's words assured us Ed Stimpson had surely now "touched the face of God."

FMI: www.gama.aero