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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Leader

Honored by:

Mr. Donald E. Fink, Jr.
Profile: Don Fink has been an aviation, and later space, advocate since his first ride in a small airplane, which a family friend landed on their Michigan farm. After moving to Minnesota, he began flying lessons at the age of 15, soloing several months later. Graduating from high school, he entered the University of Minnesota's school of Aeronautical Engineering, enrolled in the U.S. Air Force ROTC program and continued to fly with the University of Minnesota Flying Club. He switched his major to journalism and graduated with the equivalent of a Bachelor of Science degree in technical journalism.
After serving four years in the U.S. Air Force, three years served at air bases near Paris and Strasbourg, France, Mr. Fink returned to civilian life and began his journalism career. He wrote on aviation matters for a metropolitan daily newspaper and then joined the staff of Aviation Week & Space Technology, the world's premier aerospace news magazine.
His 35-year career with Aviation Week includes assignments in the magazine's New York headquarters; three years as Space Technology Editor in Washington, DC; six years in Europe as Assistant European Editor in Geneva, Switzerland, and then as Chief of the magazine's newly opened bureau in Paris. He returned to the U.S. and served six years in Aviation Week's Los Angeles Bureau, as Management Editor and then as Bureau Chief. Returning to Aviation Week's New York headquarters, Mr. Fink served as Assistant Managing Editor and Managing Editor-Technical before being named Editor-in-Chief. He served as Editor-in-Chief and Director of Editorial Operations for McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week Group until his retirement in 1996.
During his career with Aviation Week, Mr. Fink covered all aspects of the global aerospace industry, helping to chart the U.S. space program from its Mercury, Gemini and Apollo days through the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. As a pilot rated in both rotary and fixed wing aircraft, he flew and evaluated a variety of aircraft. These included numerous helicopters, business turboprops and jets, various military transports and fighters and the USAF/Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.
Under his direction as Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week expanded its coverage of international and aerospace business activities, as well as the latest technical advancements. He led reporting teams that produced precedent setting special reports on aerospace developments in the then Soviet Union, China and other Asian countries. During his career, Aviation Week compiled award winning coverage of many major stories such as the Challenger Space Shuttle accident and subsequent investigation and the 1981 Gulf War.