David R. Hinson
The bedrock of David Hinson’s career in aviation is his
extensive flying experience. He has been a pilot for more than fifty
years, graduating from Navy pilot training in 1955, immediately
following his graduation from the University of Washington. He soon
moved to the airline industry as a pilot for Northwest Airlines, a
flight instructor for United Airlines, a captain and director of flight
training for West Coast Airlines and eventually a director of flight
standards and engineering for Hughes AirWest.
Hinson returned to the classroom after his tour of duty at the
airlines, and graduated from the Stanford University Graduate School of
Business Executive Program in 1972. He founded Hinson-Mennella, an
aviation-related corporation, in 1973, and then served as president of
Flightcraft, Inc., the Northwest’s Beech aircraft distributor, through
1984. In that year, he became one of the four founders of Midway
Airlines, serving as chairman of the board and CEO for the
Chicago-based airline. From 1991 to 1993, Hinson served as executive
vice president of marketing and business development for McDonnell
Douglas Aircraft.
In 1993, Hinson moved from the private sector to the public when he was
appointed by President Bill Clinton to be the FAA’s thirteenth
administrator. During his tenure at the FAA, Hinson is credited with
driving the implementation of global positioning system technology for
civil air navigation.
Currently, Hinson is the chairman of International Aerospace Solutions,
an aviation consulting firm, and serves on the Board of Directors of
the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He is
Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the (AOPA) Air Safety Foundation
Over this varied career; Hinson has logged more than 9,000 hours in
more than seventy types of aircraft. David Hinson has blazed a
wide path in the aviation industry, one the Museum is proud to honor
with a Pathfinder Award.