HAZEL SIG-HESTER, of the Brookhaven Community in Brooklyn, Iowa, passed away at the age of 103 on Friday, October 10, 2025.
There are few names in the hobby better known than Sig, a name that’s become a part of our aeromodeling heritage. It’s a name that has virtually become a lexicon in the aeromodeling vocabulary and represents a manufacturer that has been a stalwart of model aviation for more than half a century. It also represents the family of Hazel and her husband, Glen "Poncho" Sigafoose, who began selling precut balsa in 1951 at the low cost of 10¢ a sheet, eventually becoming the Sig Manufacturing Company.
On March 3, 2022, Hazel celebrated her 100th birthday, representing a lifetime spent in dedication and commitment to aeromodeling and full-scale aviation. On April 9, 2022, in honor of her 100th birthday and in recognition of her lifelong contributions to model aviation, the AMA Executive Council proclaimed Hazel to be a true aeromodeling centenarian and designated June 25, 2022, to be National Hazel Sig Admiration Day!
The aviation community has lost a true aviation and aeromodeling legend. Hazel was a member of the Model Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2022, she was recognized by the National Aeronautic Association as a Distinguished Stateswomen of Aviation for her lifetime achievements and support of model aviation.
The following was written by the National Model Aviation Museum Staff and appeared in the March 2018 issue of Model Aviation:
If you’ve been in the aeromodeling hobby for any amount of time, chances are that you’ve heard of Sig Manufacturing Company. However, you might not be familiar with its fearless daredevil of a cofounder, Hazel Sig-Hester. Born the third child on Third Street in the third town that her parents had lived in on the third day of the third month of 1922, Hazel considered herself to have been born lucky. With a racecar-driving father whose favorite story to tell was the time he flew with Charles Lindbergh, Hazel was born with a need for speed.
A self-professed tomboy, Hazel grew up climbing trees, shooting BB guns, and loving motorcycles and model airplanes. Lucky for her, this tall, "outlandish" young dental assistant would soon find her match in the young man who "roared into town on his Indian Motorcycle in 1942." Hazel’s new boyfriend, Glen "Poncho" Sigafoose, took a job as a Linotype operator at the Montezuma Republicannewspaper and opened an Indian Motorcycle dealership on the side with her. They were married in 1943. Together, they ran the dealership until the Korean War began, cutting off their aluminum supply.
The couple never intended to get into the model aviation business. Aeromodeling had been a lifelong interest for both Hazel and Poncho, but they were rapidly growing frustrated by the lack of availability of cut balsa wood for scratchbuilt models. So, in approximately 1951, they took matters into their own hands. Poncho bought 120 feet of balsa, which he cut into thin sheets. The Sigafooses then took out an advertisement in a hobby magazine, offering free information regarding the precut balsa.
To their surprise, they received no response from the community. They made another, more successful attempt—this time offering information about the balsa at the low cost of 10¢. The couple was soon inundated with requests. Five years after publishing its first advertisement, the Sig Manufacturing Company was able to purchase its first building. Sig quickly grew. The couple expanded their catalog to include not only balsa wood but also engines, radios, and kits from other manufacturers. They began to manufacture their own kits under the Sig name, and even recruited well-known model designers and competitors to design an exclusive line of model airplanes. But Hazel wasn’t content to stick exclusively to model aviation. Her eye was still on full-scale airplanes. At roughly the same time that Sig Manufacturing was beginning to take off, she and Poncho rode their Indian Motorcycles from Montezuma, Iowa, to Sigourney, Iowa, to take full-scale aircraft flying lessons. Hazel initially learned how to fly an Aeronca Model 7 Champion—colloquially known simply as a "Champ"—but later transitioned to a Cessna 140 for teaching purposes. She also became an accomplished aerobatics pilot shortly thereafter.
According to Hazel, there were few aerobatics instructors in the mid-1950s, so she traveled to Nebraska to learn in a clipped-wing Cub. She furthered her studies through Duane Cole’s technical manual, Roll Around a Point, which she read both on the ground and in the air for pointers. She would continue to fly both her clipped-wing Cub and a homebuilt Spacewalker for more than 30 years. The clipped-wing Cub remained a popular airplane with Hazel, and, eventually, a model version was made available for purchase through Sig Manufacturing. It remains one of the most popular Sig kits, along with the Kadet and a non-clippedwing version of the Cub.
It should come as no surprise that Sig Manufacturing Company remains a strong competitor in the aeromodeling market. Nearly everything available from Sig is manufactured from scratch—paint, glue, and airplane fuel included. Raw balsa is imported from Ecuador and plywood from Finland. Many aeromodelers are familiar with the Sig catalog, which was frequently referred to as the "model builder’s wish book."
So, next time you’re flipping through the Sig website and considering a new Piper Cub kit, remember the airplane-loving, motorcycle-riding, spitfire of a cofounder who helped make it all possible: Hazel Sig-Hester.
Hazel wasa true pioneer in both fullscale and model aviation. Her lifelong love of flying, her trailblazing spirit, her numerous contributions to the hobby, and her story of passion and perseverance have inspired generations of modelers around the world. Sig Manufacturing Company was built up by her hard work, precision, and belief in the joy of flight.
Hazel brought the same spirit she shared with the modeling community to the air at the controls of her full-scale clippedwing Cub. She was a cherished member of the aviation and model aviation communities, and her dedication and lifelong support for the hobby inspired countless modelers and helped shape model aviation for generations. Those who met her remember her energy, warmth, and fearless love of flying, qualities that helped define not only her life but the heart of the hobby she helped shape.
Her story is a testament to what can happen when a love of flight takes root and never lets go. Her legacy continues to soar in every model built, every pilot inspired, and every person who looks to the sky and dreams of flying. She will always be remembered as a stalwart supporter of our hobby, and her legacy will live on within the aeromodeling community.
Our hearts, prayers, and condolences go out to her family, friends, and all who remember warmly the impact her life has made. The one item that remains the same and truly ties us all together is the shared love for the hobby and the personal joy in building and flying model airplanes.
Keep ‘em safe, keep ‘em flying, and continue to enjoy this great hobby!
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