Albert Francis Hegenberger
Albert Francis Hegenberger | |
|---|---|
Hegenberger in 1935 | |
| Born | September 30, 1895 |
| Died | August 31, 1983 (aged 87) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | Aviation Section, Signal Corps Air Service, United States Army United States Army Air Corps United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1917–1949 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | II Bomber Command Tenth Air Force 1st Air Division |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (2) |
Albert Francis Hegenberger (September 30, 1895 – August 31, 1983) was a major general in the United States Air Force and a pioneering aviator who set a flight distance record with Lester J. Maitland, 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 (1927) and Collier Trophy (1934) for achievement. Hegenberger also invented the non-directional beacon, adopted for both military and civil use.