AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2023 - 36

BRIEFING
MI L ESTONES /
Frank Robinson dies at 92
Helicopter engineer and businessman changed aviation
BY IAN TWOMBLY
FRANK ROBINSON, the legendary designer
and leader of Robinson Helicopter for
nearly 40 years, died November 12 at his
California home. He was 92.
After attending engineering school in
Wichita, he went to work for Cessna, and
spent time at Kaman, Bell, and Hughes.
He saw a market for a small personal
helicopter, and worked on the design at
night and on the weekends in the family's
living room. When his vision was far
enough along, Robinson pitched Bell and
later Hughes on the idea, but Robinson
came to realize that if the everyman helicopter
was going to be built, he would be
the only man to do it. He quit his job and
followed his passion.
NEWS /
SQUAWKS
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the rest of the story
AOPA represents GA
in EPA hearing
Speaking on behalf of thousands of
members, pilots, and the general
aviation industry, AOPA reasoned
that the transition to an unleaded
GA future must be done in a way
that promotes and protects safety
during an Environmental Protection
Agency hearing on its proposed
endangerment finding with respect to
lead emissions from aviation gasoline.
Dynon autopilot cleared
for Skylane
Dynon Avionics expanded its already
significant footprint in the certified
aircraft market with FAA approval
of a two-axis autopilot. Dynon's
36
AOPA PILOT / January 2023
latest supplemental type certificate
covers Cessna 182E and later Skylane
models, authorizing installation of the
autopilot that is an optional add-on to
the SkyView HDX.
Pilots needed: Experimental
pirep testing in Oklahoma
and Alaska
The FAA is looking for pilots who fly
in the vicinity of Will Rogers World
Airport (OKC) in Oklahoma City and
Nenana Municipal Airport (ENN)
in Nenana, Alaska, to voluntarily
participate in a project to file pilot
weather reports (pireps) using
automated ground stations and new
technology.
Kentucky Aviation Hall of
Fame honors Collins
Longtime AOPA journalist and
photographer Mike Collins was
posthumously enshrined in
Kentucky's Aviation Hall of Fame
for his contributions to aviation.
Collins was technical editor of
AOPA Pilot when he died in 2021
at 59. He was nominated for
enshrinement by former AOPA
regional manager Bob Minter.
Six killed in B-17, P-63
midair at airshow
All six people aboard a Bell P-63F
Kingcobra and the Boeing B-17G
Flying Fortress Texas Raiders died
when the two aircraft collided midair
on November 12 during the 2022
Commemorative Air Force " Wings
Over Dallas " WWII airshow at Dallas
Executive Airport in Texas. The CAF
identified those killed in the midair as
Craig Hutain, who was flying the P-63,
and Terry Barker, Kevin " K5 " Michels,
Dan Ragan, Leonard " Len " Root, and
Curtis Rowe in the B-17. There were
no injuries on the ground, according to
the NTSB.
aopa.org
The initial development of what
would become the R22 was all at the family's
home. The living room held drafting
tables where a few hired engineers would
come to work. This shoestring approach
led to some interesting challenges that
still have impact on the project today.
The R22's tail rotor, for example, is the
size it is because that's all that would fit
into Robinson's home oven.
After two years of development the
fledgling operation was moved to a hangar
at the Torrance airport (TOA), where the
test helicopter was assembled. The helicopter
was certified in 1979, six years after
Robinson started on the project full time.
Later the R44 was added to the portfolio,
and the R66 became an affordable turbine
helicopter that was practical for both work
and fun, a rarity in the rotorcraft world.
In 2010, Robsinson retired from the business
he deftly ran for so many decades and
handed the role of CEO to his son, Kurt.
Frank's vision of an aircraft that could
fit in a garage and be taken for joyrides on
the weekends created multiple generations
of helicopter pilots. Forty years after its
certification, the R22 is still the most popular
training helicopter in the world, and
the company is approaching nearly 14,000
total deliveries of its three core models.
That's an incredible legacy, and a long
way from baking parts in the family oven.
ian.twombly@aopa.org
http://www.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2023

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