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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Kris Fordice

Don Hanson was born Jan 25, 1919 on a farm in South Dakota. His lifelong passion for things that fly started as a small boy and has continued throughout his long life. Don joined the Army Air Force in 1940 and as a Staff Sergeant was an instructor in the field of aircraft mechanics for the B-17 and B-24 aircraft. After the war he attended the University of Minnesota and got a degree in aeronautical engineering. His first job after graduation in 1950 was with North American Aviation in Los Angeles, California. After a year he moved to a position with National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which is now NASA. Don worked on the supersonic (2.4 Mach No) wind tunnel in test and development. Don moved to Seattle, Washington, in 1954 to begin what would be a 30 year career with The Boeing Company. His work included a variety of assignments. He started with the B -52 group, moved to the Minute Man (ICBM) missile testing group and ended up working in a top security ‘black hole’ program. Don retired from Boeing 1984. In 1986 he started volunteering on the 1933 Boeing 247 D restoration project at Paine Field Museum of Flight Restoration Center. He used original drawings to restore the engine fuel and oil systems. The plane flew for the first time in June of 1994, a proud day for the team working on the project. The plane flew for the next 10 years and had several long distance flights to air shows. One of the most memorable for Don was the Air Races in Reno in 2000. The Director on the National Air and Space museum in Washington DC was there and told Don he had a 247 D in his museum. Don proudly told him that ‘ours can fly’. At 96 years old Don still enjoys keeping up to date on the latest advances in aerospace and aviation.