Frank Crimson was one of United Air Lines' most productive and important pilots in its earliest years. He was born in Alberta, Canada on June 8, 1903, but lived most of his creative years in Colorado.

Frank had his first flight in a Curtis Oriole with an airmail pilot in 1919, and he later sold tickets for a barn-stormer who flew an Eaglerock in Utah. While attending the University of Utah in the 20's, he was a member of the ROTC, which led him to aviation cadet training at March Field, California, from which he graduated as an army pilot in 1930. His first solo was on April 8, 1929 in a Consolidated PT-3 trainer, but it didn't take him too long to become a bomber pilot, flying under the direction of Major "Tooey" Spaatz.

Frank was released from the Air Service in 1933 and was hired by Boeing Air Transport (BAT), a predecessor of United Air Lines, where he later was assigned as the first instrument flying instructor at the Salt Lake City base. Frank helped to design and commission a new radio range monitoring procedure. He had, by 1932, become rated as an ATR, and had a FAA examiner's license.

In 1942, Frank was made chief pilot of the Rocky Mountain Division of United Air Lines, a position he held until his retirement in 1963. In his tenure, no crew member was ever involved in an accident involving an instrument procedure or terrain, a real plus for Colorado.

Frank checked out on the Boeing 720 jet airliner in the later years at UAL, but limited his line flying until his retirement. While in this supervisory position, he was a strong supporter of the Colorado Air National Guard and the United pilots flying for that organization. For this support, he was made an honorary Colonel in the CANG and an honorary member of the Minute Men flight demonstration team.

This pioneer airman flew every aircraft type in UAL use, from the Boeing 40-B through the jets, to the date of his retirement without any mishaps or accidents. At the time of his retirement, he had amassed over 20,000 flying hours and had flown Will Rogers, President Hoover and Eisenhower, Mrs. Roosevelt, General MacArthur, and many others. United Air Lines named a DC-8 airliner for him at the end of his active service, a very rare occurrence.

In later years, he and Mrs. Crimson established a memorial scholarship fund at Western State College in honor of their Navy pilot son, Scot, who was killed during a night carrier landing off the coast of Vietnam. By 1981, more than 250 students had benefited from this fund.

Frank Crimson was always a strong advocate of aviation safety through his long career at United, and this state and the region have been benefactors of that devotion.