Mr. Dan McKinnon

Dan McKinnon Born: 27 January 1934 Died: 22 November 2012 Dan McKinnon loved adventure, competition, his family, his country and especially the Lord. He passed on November 22, 2012 from neuroendocrine cancer. Dan led a life full of variety and wide ranging experience as a Navy Pilot, radio station owner, government official and airline president. As a high school student for three years starting in 1950 he attended Point Loma High School from September to December and then from January through June served as a page in the U.S. House of Representatives where his dad, Clinton D. McKinnon, served as San Diego's lone Congressman. Part of the time Dan served as the personal page to famed House Speaker Sam Rayburn. Upon graduation from Capitol Page School he received a diploma signed by one of his idols, President Harry Truman. Dan believed Truman had real integrity and conviction. He went to the University of Missouri and through the NROTC program received his commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. While in college he earned his private pilot license. In the Navy he went directly to flight training and earned his coveted Wings of Gold. He used to say, "Give me bread and water, a place to sleep, and an airplane and I was the happiest guy in the world." Aviation was something that was to follow him all his life. He served in the Navy's first helicopter squadron, HU-1, at Ream Field and held the Navy's peacetime helicopter rescue record of 62 air/sea saves, which stands to this day. His Navy exploits included serving as the personal helicopter pilot for the Commander of the 7th Fleet, where he had to fly from the small deck of the cruiser USS HELENA. During his tour of duty he flew such notables as President Chaing Kai Shek of China. His adventures in the Navy are shared in Rescue Pilot, his book published by McGraw Hill. In 1962, along with his brother Mike, Dan purchased KSON radio. The station was bankrupt and after some struggles, they switched to a country music format and KSON became a national leader in the revolution of modern formatted country music radio that earned high ratings and financial success for country radio and artists. That led to close friendships with major artists Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, and Charley Pride as well as other stars of the 60s and 70s. Dan was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2003 for his "vision, leadership, and dedication" to country music. In addition to country music, his KSON-FM made an effort to program Gospel Music. In 1977, he served as President of the Country Music Association in Nashville. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters. During his ownership of KSON AM and FM in 1976, he served as General Chairman of the Billy Graham Crusade held for a week at then Jack Murphy Stadium. He used to say "That was the greatest thing I was ever involved in, it truly affected lives forever." After narrowly losing a bid to serve in the Congress in 1980, in 1981 he received a call from the White House that President Ronald Reagan wanted him to serve as Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. This work would include implementing airline deregulation and being the first person to close a government agency. After three and a half years, the goal was achieved the last day of 1984. Dan went to the White House and in an Oval Office ceremony handed the key to the door of the "sunsetted" CAB to the President with a salute and comment, "Mission accomplished, Mr. President." This service earned him thanks and a personal letter from the President that in part read, "I've occasionally said in my speeches that a government agency is the nearest thing to eternal life that we'll ever see on the earth. Well, I'm happy to say that you've proved me wrong in at least one case. Your stewardship of the Civil Aeronautics Board was capped by one of the most unusual conclusions ever to a government career: you closed the agency you worked for." Following the closure of the CAB, William J. Casey, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, asked Dan to help him with some special projects for which he was awarded the Agency Seal Medallion after Casey's death in 1986. The real reward for his efforts was that he got to fly the legendary U-2 spy plane. In 1989, Dan and an Israeli friend came up with an idea to start a large jet airline based at JFK airport in New York to serve as a feeder airline for El Al, the Israeli Airline. The idea was to feed passengers to and from cities in the U.S. from New York's JFK International airport so they could then board an El Al flight to Israel. North American Airlines grew from one new B757 to a fleet of five B757s and three B767-300ERs flying worldwide. He sold the airline in 2005. It received awards from the U.S. Military for service to troops going to combat and had the prestige of being the campaign aircraft for Governor George W. Bush during his 2000 campaign for the presidency. The airline had one industry distinction during the 16 years of McKinnon's ownership---it was always profitable. Growth was slow but McKinnon's phrase was always, "What are crumbs for the big boys is a full meal for us." Like country music radio, his business philosophy was to be a niche player in the airline industry. He sold the airline in 2005 to World Airlines and returned home to San Diego where he was appointed by the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Duncan Hunter, to serve on the twelve member congressionally mandated commission on the National Guard and reserves. Over two and a half years the Commission made several reports to the Congress with more than a hundred changes that were necessary for the Department of Defense to be more effective in the fight against Global Terrorism. The report was well received by the Congress and 82 of 95 recommendations were adopted in the final report. Dan authored five books including an aviation book of the year: Bullseye—Iraq, the story of the famed Israeli Air Force raid on Sadaam's nuclear bomb factory in 1981. McKinnon got the story from some Israeli pilot friends who flew the actual raid. It became the definitive book on the mission given out by members of the IAF for years. Other books include Rescue Pilot, Words of Honor, Safe Air Travel Companion, and The Ten Second Message. He was active in the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, where a display in the ready room dedicated to his Navy accomplishments was recently unveiled. One of the helicopters he flew has been restored and is on the flight deck. Dan loved sports, aerobatic flying, dirt biking, sailing, SCUBA diving, including underwater photography, trap and skeet shooting, tennis, to name a few. His favorite avocation was working at his Wildcat Canyon Ranch. Besides the Billy Graham crusade, other Christian activities he was involved in included Hume Lake Christian Camp, Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship, and Youth for Christ. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Janice, and by children Holly McKinnon, Sherri Orr, Clint McKinnon, and Lisa McKinnon, his brother Mike McKinnon, owner of KUSI TV, sister Connie McKinnon, mother Lucille McKinnon, as well as 11 grandchildren. Services will take place 1130 AM, Thursday November 29th, at Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church with interment following at Miramar National Cemetery.