Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Dewey Reinhard were inducted into the U. S. Ballooning Hall of Fame at 2:00 p.m. on
Sunday July 31, 2011 at the National Balloon Museum in Indianola, Iowa. 
For more detailed informaton about all three inductees go to our Hall of Fame Page


Dewey Reinhard
Dewey and his wife Carol J. "Jeanie", live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He started ballooning in 1974 and has a long list
of accomplishments and activities.  He served as organizer of the first world championship for gas balloons held in the
United States.   He has 1,500+ hours of flying time in balloons, and many more in fixed wing aircraft and as a helicopter
Sonar operator.  He has an extensive history of working for the advancement of ballooning and has received many honors
and awards.


Maxie Anderson
Maxie was associated with New Mexico and was a prominent developer in the state.  He as one of the world's
foremost gas balloonists, and flew a number of record-breaking flights, including the first successful balloon
crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in the Double Eagle II.  He also was an accomplishing hot air balloonist and was
an aircraft pilot who received his pilot's license at the age of 15.  He was killed while participating in a gas
balloon race in France in 1983, which commemorated the first manned balloon flight.


Ben Abruzzo
After college Ben spent time in the air force, eventually ended up in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he
became successful in real estate management and development.  He joined friend Maxie Anderson on the 
series of Double Eagle flights, including the Double Eagle II flight across the Atlantic Ocean, the first
successful transatlantic crossing by a manned balloon.  The Double Eagle III, with Abruzzo and Anderson
was the winner of the 1979 Gorden Bennett race, and he also set many other records with other partners.