Albert Francis Hegenberger

Albert Francis Hegenberger
Hegenberger in 1935
Born	(1895-09-30)September 30, 1895 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	August 31, 1983(1983-08-31) (aged 87) Goldenrod, Florida
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Aviation Section, Signal Corps Air Service, United States Army United States Army Air Corps United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force
Years of service	1917-1949
Rank	Major General
Commands held	II Bomber Command Tenth Air Force 1st Air Division
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Flying Cross

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 was born at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1895. He entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1913 to undertake the course in civil engineering. When the United States entered World War I, Hegenberger enlisted in the Aviation Section, Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps as a private first class (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, Texas, where he earned a rating 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; then assigned successively to the School of Aerial Observers, Post Field, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; the School of Aerial Gunnery, Taliaferro Field, 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.