TORRANCE, California., November 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — To November 12, 2022 The Robinson Helicopter Company finally said goodbye to its founder, Frank Robinson. Robinson, 92, died peacefully with him Rolling Hills, California Hometown.
One of the most recognized names in the helicopter industry, Frank Robinson was a pioneer, a man driven not by rewards or accolades but by a vision that redefined the industry and changed general aviation forever.
Robinson will be remembered for the design and manufacture of the R22, R44 and R66 model helicopters. Known for their simplicity and reliability, the popular helicopters have a distinctive profile and can be easily and frequently spotted around the world.
Robinson’s fascination with helicopters began in 1939 at the age of nine when he saw an image in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of Igor Sikorsky holding his VS-300 helicopter aloft, an image that intrigued Robinson and set the stage for his life’s work asked.
He earned a BSME degree from the University of Washingtonattend later from Wichita State University Aeronautical Engineering Graduate School. His career began at Cessna in the late 1950’s and continued through the 1960’s working for many leading aerospace companies including Bell and Hughes. In 1973, at the age of forty-three, unable to interest any of his employers in the idea of a simple, personal helicopter, he quit his job at Hughes and founded the Robinson Helicopter Company in his Palos Verdes. California Hometown. Six years later, defied…
