Ernie Hall Museum
Our Mission
The mission of the Ernie Hall Aviation Museum is to preserve the legacy of aviation innovation and education in Northeast Ohio initiated by Ernie Hall, and to advocate for general aviation safety, training, and comradery amongst the local aviation community. The mission will be carried out through museum tours, museum sponsored events, community and aviation related scholarships and grants.
The museum will house various aviation artifacts (pictures, models, aircraft, military memorabilia) relevant to Ernie Hall's aviation career as well as those from military veterans and professional pilots from Northeast Ohio. The museum will curate these artifacts to provide interesting and enjoyable educational programs for students and adults which can be accessed through on-site tours, presentations, online references and special community events.
The Ernie Hall Aviation Museum is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3) that is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and receives no federal funding. We encourage support through memberships, donations, sponsorships and grants, and most importantly attending museum sponsored events. Volunteer opportunities are available and are appreciated.
Apply for Visit:
WILLIAM A. (BILL) GRIFFIN
(Founder of Ernie Hall
Aviation Museum in 2015)
Ernie C. Hall
(Pioneering instructor of
over 6000 pilots since 1915)
A Tribute to Two Great Men
Just as Ernie Hall had the vision to develop aviation knowledge and the practice of aviation in Warren, Ohio Bill Griffin had a similar vision to preserve the legacy of Ernie Hall's contributions and further them in the modern age.
Bill grew up surrounded by airplanes. His father Arthur built model planes from scratch 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 off Route 46 in Howland bordered a runway used by one of the most legendary pilots of early aviation.
The man who 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, had earned his pilot’s license in 1906, started his flight school in Pennsylvania in 1921 and moved to Warren, Ohio in 1923. He continued to teach and fly until his death in 1972. During his 60 year career Ernie trained over 6000 pilots including pilots for World War I, World War II, and countless general aviation pilots.
Bill was completely enamored by this great man and set out to fulfill a lifelong dream and somehow make sure Mr. Hall‘s accomplishments to aviation and the local community would not be forgotten. Bill created a 501(c)3 non-profit organization called the Ernie Hall Aviation Museum and in 2014 spearheaded the building of the Ernie Hall Aviation Museum hangar at Griffin-Sloas airfield (80OH) on North River Road in Warren, Ohio. This hanger housed the museum and was built as a re-creation of Ernie's original hanger.
The museum includes Ernie Hall’s actual 1947 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, his instructor training materials, numerous photographs and memorabilia from his time in the area. There is also a 2,300 ft grass strip airfield, and now a second museum hangar (the Tom Grohl Annex) on the property. The museum also recognizes the contributions made advancing aviation by others in Northeast Ohio. Bill's goal was to create a place where all local and regional aviators could be recognized, whether military, commercial, or general aviation.
Bill was an amazing person who 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. As a Senior Account Executive he worked with over 500 local businesses and non-profit organizations. This gave him a heart for the local community which the Ernie Hall Aviation Museum honors to this day through numerous charitable giving programs.
Bill was a public relations and marketing guru. To help finance and support the museum he created several different fundraising events and sponsorships. His favorite, and most popular, event was the annual “Wings and Wheels” aircraft and car exhibition he began in 2015. Thousands participated in this fundraiser with dozens of private and collectors' aircraft in the air and on the ground. Visitors also enjoyed hundreds of antique, exotic and hot rod cars. Bill began donating to community organizations and established scholarships for students enrolled in the field of aviation. Scholarships are still awarded annually due to the ongoing fund raising activities of the Ernie Hall Aviation Museum.
Ernie Hall, who died in 1972 will never be forgotten thanks to the passionate and ambitious efforts of Bill Griffin . Ernie's name will live on and so will the name of William “Bill” Griffin. Bill passed away in 2019 due to complications from diabetes.