FRANK ROBINSON

JANUARY 14, 1930 –

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

Franklin “Frank” Davis Robinson was born in Carbonado, Washington in 1930. The youngest of four children, Frank became fascinated with a one-rotor Sikorsky helicopter he read about, sparking a lifelong passion that changed the world of flying by private helicopter. As a young boy, Frank spent a lot of time at the family’s cabin at Mutiny Bay on Whidbey Island. The Robinson family eventually established Robinson’s Resort there on a beach purchased from the state of Washington. Frank, bored by school, often escaped to work on Merchant Marines Ships in Alaska, but fate intervened when his math teacher saw Frank’s mathematical potential and encouraged him to apply to the University of Washington. However, without the funds for college, Frank continued his work with the Merchant Marines, and enlisted in the Army, where he served in Korea. Thanks to the GI bill, Frank was able to enroll at the

University of Washington, graduating in 1957 with a Mechanical Engineering degree. He later completed graduate work in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Wichita. Frank worked for nearly two decades for various helicopter companies across the country, specializing in cost efficiency and optimal design. In 1973, Frank decided to strike out on his own with a dream to make private helicopters a reality, thus establishing Robinson Helicopters. Starting with the two-seater R22, certified by the FAA in 1979, two more models followed, the R44 (four-seater) and R66 (five-seater). Some 13,000 helicopters later, Robinson Helicopter has become the preeminent manufacturer of civilian helicopters around the globe. Among many awards and honors, Frank was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2011. Frank died November 12 at the age of 92 at his home in Rolling Hills, California.