Albert Francis Hegenberger (September 30, 1895 – August 31, 1983) was a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

and a pioneering aviator who set a

flight distance record This list of flight distance records contains only those set without any mid-air refueling. Non-commercial powered aircraft Commercial aircraft Shortest distance The Loganair Westray to Papa Westray route and its return flight make up the s ...

with

Lester J. Maitland Lester James Maitland (February 8, 1899 – March 27, 1990) was an aviation pioneer and career officer in the United States Army Air Forces and its predecessors. Maitland began his career as a Reserve pilot in the U.S. Army Air Service during Wo ...

, completing the first transpacific flight to Hawaii in 1927 as navigator of the ''Bird of Paradise''. Hegenberger was an aeronautical engineer of note, earning both the

Mackay Trophy The Mackay Trophy is awarded yearly by the United States Air Force for the "most meritorious flight of the year" by an Air Force person, persons, or organization. The trophy is housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museu ...

(1927) and

Collier Trophy The Robert J. Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association (NAA), presented to those who have made "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to im ...

(1934) for achievement. Hegenberger also invented the

non-directional beacon A non-directional beacon (NDB) or non-directional radio beacon is a radio beacon which does not include directional information. Radio beacons are radio transmitters at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. NDB are ...

, adopted for both military and civil use.

Biography

Early years and World War I

Hegenberger was born at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1895. He entered the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 1913 to undertake the course in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

. When the United States entered

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Hegenberger enlisted in the Aviation Section, Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps as a

private first class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...

(flying cadet) on September 14, 1917. He completed ground school training at the school of military aeronautics at M.I.T. in December 1917, and proceeded to

Ellington Field Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegis ...

, Texas, where he earned a

rating A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both. Rating or ratings may also refer to: Business and economics * Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness of an individual, c ...

of Reserve Military Aviator. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the Signal Officer Reserve Corps on April 6, 1918. He was sent to the pilot pool at the Aviation Concentration Center at Camp John Dick,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

; then assigned successively to the School of Aerial Observers,

Post Field Henry Post Army Airfield is a military use airport located at Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma, United States. This military airport is owned by United States Army. Established as Post Field in 1917, it was one of thirty-two Air Service t ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

; the School of Aerial Gunnery,

Taliaferro Field Camp Taliaferro was a World War I flight-training center run under the direction of the Air Service, United States Army in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. Camp Taliaferro had an administration center near what is now the Will Rogers Memorial Cen ...

, Texas, graduating as a gunnery pilot of July 5, 1918; and in October, 1918 back to M.I.T. for a four-month course in aeronautical engineering.

Air Service and Air Corps

Upon completing his technical training in February 1919, Hegenberger became chief of the Instrument Branch at

McCook Field McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station in Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917 to 1927. It was named fo ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. He was commissioned a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

, Air Service, in the Regular Army July 1, 1920, and subsequently served as assistant engineer of the Equipment Section, Air Service Engineering Division. Hegenberger transferred overseas to the 72nd Bombardment Squadron at Luke Field,

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, in October 1923, and later served as operations officer of the 5th Composite Group. In March 1925, he was transferred to the 5th's 23rd Bombardment Squadron. Returning to the United States and McCook Field in October 1926, he became chief of the Equipment Branch, Materiel Division of the

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

. In July 1927, he was appointed chief of the Instrument and Navigation Unit at the Materiel Division's new facilities at

Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces flight testing. Lo ...

. While stationed at McCook, he planned the first transpacific flight to Hawaii, then using his flight plan, flew the ''Bird of Paradise'' to Hawaii with 1st Lt. Lester J. Maitland on June 28–29, 1927, for which they won the

. Resuming his work at Wright Field, Hegenberger developed the first blind flying landing system, (using non-directional and marker beacons) and on May 9, 1932, made the first complete solo blind flight from take-off to landing, for which he was presented the 1934

on July 22, 1935, by President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. He joined the

30th Bombardment Squadron : ''See United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the squadron's successor unit'' The 30th Bombardment Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. On 19 September 1985 it was consolidated with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, also known as ...

Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, in August 1935, and was made squadron commander in October. He later moved with this unit to

March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...

, California, where he served until August 1937. Hegenberger was a student at the

Air Corps Tactical School The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. C ...

Maxwell Field Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

from September 1938 to June 1939. He then moved on to

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perman ...

, where he completed the

Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

in June 1939. Hegenberger was assigned to

Hickam Field Hickam may refer to: ;Surname *Homer Hickam (born 1943), American author, Vietnam veteran, and a former NASA engineer ** October Sky: The Homer Hickam Story, 1999 American biographical film *Horace Meek Hickam (1885–1934), pioneer airpower advoca ...

, Hawaii, as operations officer of the 5th Bombardment Group in July 1939, and the following February became operations officer of the 18th Wing at Hickam Field. He moved to

Fort Shafter Fort Shafter, in Honolulu CDP, Page 4/ref> City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific, which commands most Army forces in the Asia-Pacific region with the exception of Korea. Geographically, F ...

, Hawaii, in November 1940 to become assistant chief of staff for operations of the

Hawaiian Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...

, and in April 1941, was named commanding officer of the

11th Bombardment Group An international call prefix, international dial-out code or international direct dial code (IDD code) is a trunk prefix that indicates an international phone call. In the dialling sequence, the prefix precedes the country calling code (and, fur ...

at Hickam Field.

World War II

Hegenberger began World War II in command of the 18th Bombardment Wing at Hickam Field, and in January became chief of staff of the VII Bomber Command. From August to October 1942, he was assistant chief of staff for operations of the

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

, and commanding officer of its II Bomber Command at

Fort George Wright Fort George Wright is a land area in the northwest United States, located in Spokane, Washington's West Hills neighborhood. It is named after General George Wright, who had been stationed in the area. History In 1895, local residents purchase ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. In October 1942, he organized the 21st Bombardment Wing, a staging organization for heavy bombardment crews headed overseas, at Smoky Hill Army Air Base,

Salina, Kansas Salina is a city in, and the county seat of, Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,889. In the early 1800s, the Kanza tribal land reached eastward from the middle of the Kansas Territory. In 1 ...

, and commanded in until January 1944. In May 1943 he moved the wing to Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas. In January 1944, he was reassigned to Headquarters, Second Air Force, now at

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, as chief of staff. In January 1945, he was named chief of staff of the

Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

in the China Theater of Operations, and in August became commander of the

Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswell AF ...

in the same theater.

Postwar and service in the USAF

Returning to the United States in December 1945, he was assigned to Headquarters,

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, for duty with the Officers Selection Committee. In July 1946, he went to

Pacific Air Command The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...

(PACUSA) headquarters in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan, and two months later became commanding general of the 1st Air Division on

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. He returned to the United States and

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

in December 1947, with assignment to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff—Materiel, Headquarters

, for duty with the Special Weapons Group as assistant to Major Gen.

William E. Kepner William Ellsworth Kepner (6 January 1893 in Miami, Indiana - 3 July 1982 in Orlando, Florida) was an officer in the United States Army, United States Army Air Corps and United States Air Force, and a pioneer balloon (aircraft), balloonist and airsh ...

, Deputy Chief for Atomic Energy. On 1 July 1948, a reorganization moved the organization to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff—Operations, and Hegenberger succeeded Kepner as chief of Special Weapons Group. In August 1948, under the Assistant For Atomic Energy, his position was retitled Chief, 1009th Special Weapons Squadron. Hegenberger retired August 31, 1949. In 1958 he was recognized for his demonstration of the capability of four-course radio range beacons as a navigational aid by the Professional Group on Aeronautical and Navigational Electronics, a member of the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

, receiving its annual '' Pioneer Award'', and in 1976 was enshrined in the

National Aviation Hall of Fame The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) is a museum, annual awards ceremony and learning and research center that was founded in 1962 as an Ohio non-profit corporation in Dayton, Ohio, United States, known as the "Birthplace of Aviation" with it ...

. He died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

Goldenrod, Florida Goldenrod is a census-designated place (CDP) in Orange and Seminole counties in the U.S. state of Florida. The population was 12,039 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. G ...

on August 31, 1983.

Awards and decorations

SOURCE: ''Biographical Data on Air Force General Officers, 1917–1952, Volume 1 – A thru L'' COMMAND PILOT WINGS

Command pilot U.S. Air Force aeronautical ratings are military aviation skill standards established and awarded by the United States Air Force for commissioned officers participating in "regular and frequent flight",The standard by which flight status has bee ...

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wor ...

Order of Cloud and Banner The Order of the Cloud and Banner () also known as the Order of the Resplendent Banner is a military award of the Republic of China. It was instituted on June 15, 1935 and is awarded in nine grades for contributions to national security. The insig ...

(

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

)

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

(Grand Officer) ObserverBadge

Combat Observer Technical Observer Hegenberger also received the 1927

, the 1934

, and was a fellow of the Institute of Aeronautical Engineers. ;Dates of promotion :Private first class, Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps, 14 September 1917 :Second lieutenant, Signal Officers Reserve Corps; 6 April 1918 :First lieutenant, Air Service; 1 July 1920 :Captain, Air Corps; 3 January 1932 :Major (temporary), 2 October 1935 :Major, Air Corps; 15 August 1939 :Lieutenant colonel (temporary), 30 December 1940 :Lieutenant colonel, Air Corps; 18 December 1941 :Colonel (temporary), 5 January 1942 :Colonel,

Army of the United States The Army of the United States is one of the four major service components of the United States Army (the others being the Regular Army, the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard of the United States), but it has been inactive si ...

, 8 June 1942 :Brigadier general (temporary), 18 September 1943 :Major general (temporary), 7 September 1945 :Brigadier general (permanent), 19 February 1948, with date of rank from 19 September 1943

Legacy

Hegenberger Road and Hegenberger Expressway in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, near the

Oakland International Airport Oakland International Airport is an international airport in Oakland, California, United States, 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown located in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by the Port of Oakland and has domestic passenger f ...

, are named after him.Deborah Cooper
"Hegenberger Road to the Airport"
Oakland Museum of California. Retrieved 2010-06-20.

References

External links

First Flight Society - Major General Albert F. Hegenberger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hegenberger, Albert Francis 1895 births 1983 deaths United States Army Air Forces generals Flight distance record holders Collier Trophy recipients Mackay Trophy winners Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) American navigators Flight navigators Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Air Corps Tactical School alumni People from Boston American aviation record holders United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II Military personnel from Massachusetts