David Russell Hinson

David Hinson, formerly of Ketchum, ID, passed away peacefully with his wife Ursula by his side on Sunday December 3 in Roseville, CA. He was 90.

David was born March 2, 1933 in Muskogee,Oklahoma to Bert and Frances Hinson. He was the oldest of three boys. After moving to Richland, WA, David attended the University of Washington and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity where he made many lifelong friends. He was also a Husky football fan who enjoyed home and away games for 70 years.

Always fascinated with airplanes, David chose to leave Washington after his junior year and enter the US Navy's Naval Aviation Cadet program. He earned his wings in 1955 beginning what would be a long and storied career in aviation.

After returning to Seattle to complete his degree, David worked part time as a lifeguard at Windemere beach. There he met Ursula, a Swiss emigrant working as a flight attendant for United Airlines. They were married in 1959 and started a family in1960. Over the next 35 years, David's career progressed with stints as a pilot and operations executive for several airlines. He later owned Flightcraft, a private aviation business in Portland, Oregon with his longtime friend Vin Mennella.

In 1978, David cofounded Midway Airlines in Chicago where he would eventually serve as CEO in the late 1980s. David's career in aviation culminated in 1993 when he was appointed by President Bill Clinton to head the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, DC. Throughout his professional career, David led with positive energy and integrity, garnering the respect of his colleagues and peers.

After retiring from the FAA, David and Ursula relocated to their family home In Ketchum, Idaho.

David served on numerous business, community and philanthropic boards including Providence Hospital in Portland, OR, St Luke's Hospital in Ketchum, ID, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and AOPA Safety Foundation. He was inducted into the aviation Hall of Fame in Oklahoma, and Idaho, and was a recipient of the Museum of Flight Pathfinder Award.

David also loved the outdoors, particularly fishing, skiing, and playing golf. He was a dedicated family man who loved to host large gatherings and always welcomed friends, new and old. He was generous and kind and blessed with an unshakable spirit of optimism and inclusion.

David is survived by his wife of 64 years Ursula, their three children Eric Hinson and his wife Julie, Spencer Hinson and his wife Amy, and Heidi Monical and her husband Vince, along with eight grandchildren - Alex, Spencer, Nicole, Stephanie, Connor, David, Erica and Max and two great grandchildren - Wylder and Juniper.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (https://give.michaeljfox.org/) or the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (airandspace.si.edu).