Transcribed by NR (08/2000); Edited by SS (2002), Reformatted by JS (06/2009), Updated by JS (05/2010)
Career
- Served as first chairman of the Model Airplane Committee in 1933
- As chair, he certified all model airplane records and issued the certificates, just as he did for the full-scale airplane records.
- Believed heart and soul in the value of model aviation to the youth of America
- Was a natural promoter and had a finesse to his work that stamped it that of Bill Enyart
- Model builders of the United States owe him a debt of gratitude for his staunch support
Honors
- 1974: Model Aviation Hall of Fame
This following biography is taken from page 16 in the book The History of the Academy of Model Aeronautics: From the Beginning to the year 1966, by Willis C. Brown and Dick Black.
Memories of the Man by Willis C. Brown
William R. (Bill) Enyart of N.A.A.
The National Aeronautic Association, since its formation in 1922 had advocated, prompted and sanctioned contests for model aviation as well as for full-scale aviation. It had a Junior membership until the Academy took it over.
Every new idea has to have a sparkplug to make it go. William P. (Bill) Enyart, early chair of the N.A.A. Contest Committee, was that sparkplug. In 1933, he served as first chair of the Model Airplane Committee, a subdivision of his N.A.A. Contest committee. As such, he certified to all model airplane records and issued the certificates, just as he did for the full-scale airplane records. Standard rules for the larger aircraft competition were set by the Federation Aeronautic International (F.A.I.) This standardization was necessary so that records of all nations would be comparable. N.A.A. was the one “authorized” organization in U.S.A. to certify to records made under standard conditions. Since 1929, N.A.A. has issued model plane record certificates. Model plane correspondence and certificates in 1933 were signed by “William R. Enyart, Secretary, Contest Committee.” Bill believed heart and soul in the value of model aviation to the youth of America. He was a natural promoter and had a finesse to his work that stamped it that of Bill Enyart. He was president of the manufacturing firm of Simmonds Accessories. He gave his life in a fatal plane accident. He was N.A.A. official timer on a long distance attempt at a record for U.S.A. The heavily loaded plane was demolished on take-off. Model builders of the United States owe him a debt of gratitude for his staunch support.
This following is from the June 1958 issue of Model Aviation.
William R. Enyart
The tragic crash of the Air Force KC 135 jet tanker near Westover Air Force Base on June 27 took the lives of fifteen men, including the life of William R. Enyart, a pioneer and staunch supporter of model aviation. Before the AMA was organized, he directed the NAA model program, which first governed aeromodeling activities in this country. It was Bill Enyart who negotiated the affiliation of the Academy of Model Aeronautics with the National Aeronautic Association, and from that day forward, he never failed to back and promote the AMA whenever the opportunity was present.
Enyart was a past president of both the NAA and FAI, and in recent years, he was president of Simmonds Accessories, which has its headquarters near New York City. He continued to serve on the Board of Directors and in other official NAA capacities, all the while keeping up to date on the progress of the AMA.
Enyart was serving as one of NAA’s official timers on a record attempt from New York to London and return, non-stop, when he met his death. His loss will be keenly felt by all who knew and worked with him in many phases of sporting and industrial aviation. Model aviation has lost a substantial supporter; we join his countless friends in expressing our most sincere sympathy to his wife and family.
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