Daniel L. Meisinger
1915-1997

Dan (or "Dan Senior" to many who knew him) was born in Naperville, IL on June 17, 1915. His aviation career included over 20,000 hours of flight time and spanned more than 60 years, beginning in 1933 when he learned to fly at the Dallas Aviation School at Love Field. After knocking around the Midwest as a barnstormer and flight instructor, he established Topeka Aircraft Company in 1938 at Billard Airport in Topeka, Kansas in a two-bay hangar that still stands.
During World War II Dan's operation became a Naval Cadet Program, training young Navy pilots the art of flying using N3N training aircraft supplied by the Navy. He would sometimes log as much as 100 hours a week as he trained the pilots from sunrise to sunset each day. In addition, Dan test flew new B-25's for North American at their Fairfax plant in Kansas City.
As peace returned in late 1945, Dan became one of the first dealers signed to represent Beech Aircraft Corporation. Over the next 60 years, his company would become Executive Beechcraft and expand to five locations in Kansas City and St. Louis. During that time Dan's company sold over 1200 new Beech aircraft, from Staggerwings to Bonanzas to King Airs. His achievements resulted in Dan being named Beech Aircraft Corporation's Man of the Year on two separate occasions - the only individual to ever win the coveted award twice. In addition, Dan received the Kansas Governor's Award for Aviation in 1996.
Dan married his wife, Pauline Connelly in October, 1940 and had four children: Dan Jr., Mark, Janet, and Jack. His children all continued the family business and established the Dan L. Meisinger, Sr. Memorial Learn to Fly Scholarship Fund through the National Air Transportation Association upon his death on June 25, 1997 at the age of 82.