2001 Hall of Fame Inductee-

Ted Koston

This article originally appeared in the December 2001 issue of Vintage Airplane magazine

One can contribute to vintage aviation in many ways, and Ted Costopoulos (aka Koston) of Melrose Park, Illinois, has managed to get involved in many of them. His first flight, made in 1937, was in a Kinner-powered Bird CK biplane. Ted’s lifelong fascination with photography blossomed, and he was soon shooting aircraft on a regular basis. During World War II, he served as a naval aviation photographer aboard the aircraft carrier USS St Lo (ex-USS Midway). His naval service also included a stint performing reconnaissance photography in the Marshall Islands and Guam.

Returning to Chicago after WWII, he opened his own photography studio and immediately got busy on a number of civilian aviation fronts. He has served as:

  • President of the Illinois Air Pilots Association
  • One of the founding fathers of U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Aviation Flotilla 3-8 at Glenview, Illinois
  • Member of the O’Hare Senior Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol; named the CAP’s Outstanding Information Officer in 1964
  • Director of the Cross and Cockade Midwest Chapter of World War I Aero Historians
  • President of the Illinois Wing of the OX-S Aviation Pioneers and Historians. In 1994 he was honored by the national OX -S organization during their annual convention when he was presented with their Aviation Historian of the Year award. In recognition of his dedication to antique airplanes, he was made an honorary lifetime member of the Midwest Antique Airplane Club in 1972. He’s number 3-Dale Crites and Paul Poberezny were numbers 1 and 2, respectively.

Ted was inducted in the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame in 1994.

Over the past four decades, Ted has blessed EAA with his services as a volunteer photographer. Starting in the 1960s he shot some of the most famous images of EAA and VAA members and their aircraft. He continues to contribute to Vintage Airplane on a regular basis, and our archive of images shot by Ted over the years continues to be a valued resource. Ted’s photography has been published in EAA publications and all over the world.

Our congratulations to Ted on his induction into the VAA Hall of Fame!