A Tribute to Two Great Men

If you missed out meeting Bill Griffin then you missed out on meeting an amazing human being. He was a person that put his heart and soul into everything he did.

After graduating from Howland High School in Howland, Ohio in 1984 he worked for the Comcast Cable Company. He successfully serviced over 500 business organizations whether they were for profit or non-profit. At an early age he worked his way up to a Senior Account Executive position.

Not only was Bill extremely driven, he was also a very kind loving individual. He was considered a savant in the business world but was also called a heart on two legs with his gracious generosity.

Bill grew up surrounded by airplanes. His father Arthur built model planes without a kit plan, only skilled hands and a keen eye. Arthur’s love for airplanes was then passed on to his children and grandchildren. The entire family couldn’t help being excited about aviation since their back yard bordered a runway to one of the most legendary pilots of early aviation.

The man who once owned the runway and a hangar on the property was the Certified Flight Instructor, Ernie Hall. Mr. Hall received his flight training at an early age from the Wright Brothers and

even bought a plane from them. Hall, born in 1890, earned his pilot’s license in 1906, started his flight school in Pennsylvania and moved to Warren, Ohio in 1923. He continued to teach and fly until his death in 1972. During nearly 60 years in operation, Ernie trained over 6000 pilots including pilots for World War I and World War II.

Bill was completely enamored, at the time, by this great man and set out to fulfill a lifelong dream and somehow make sure Mr. Hall ‘s accomplishment would never be forgotten. Therefore, in 2014 Bill began to spearhead the re-creation of a hangar very similar to Ernie's hangar. Bill created an amazing tribute to Ernie Hall with a 501c3 non-profit organization called the Ernie Hall Aviation Museum. It is also geared to recognize contributions made by advancing aeronautics in Ohio and the U.S. (i.e.) Neil Armstrong from Wapakoneta, Ohio (near Toledo), the first human to step foot on the Moon.

The museum includes Ernie Hall’s actual 1947 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, an airfield, and a hangar. This museum is also geared to recognize contributions made by advancing aeronautics in Ohio and the U.S. Mr. Griffin’s goal was to create a place where all local and regional aviators could be recognized, whether military, commercial, or general aviation.

To help finance and support the museum, Bill created several different fundraisers, and currently includes many sponsors giving yearly donations. But he was most proud of, the “Wings and Wheels” annual tribute to Ernie Hall fundraiser that he began in 2015 and is still popular today. Thousands participate in this fundraiser, witnessing dozens of aircraft in the air and on the ground and even going inside military aircraft for a guided tour. The visitors also enjoy observing hundreds of antique, exotic, and hot rod cars. Bill began donating to area organizations and also students enrolled in the field of aviation. Donations are still awarded annually due to this great fundraiser. In 2022 Wings and Wheels was moved to a larger venue, the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport due to so many participants.

Ernie Hall, will never be forgotten, thanks to ambitious Bill Griffin . His name will live on and so will the name of William “Bill” Griffin, because of his generosity, dedication, and unending devotion to his work, family, and friends.