Avionics Giant to be Feted in October

We've just been told that the Board of Directors of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has selected Edward King Jr. to receive a special NBAA First Century of Flight Award, which recognizes him for his significant contributions to the advancement of aviation since the advent of powered flight 100 years ago.

He and five other First Century of Flight recipients - Serge Dassault, David Ewald, Jerome F. Lederer, Ray H. Siegfried II and John Tucker - will be honored on Thursday, October 9 at the NBAA Safety Awards Banquet during the NBAA 56th Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando (FL).

After graduating from Kansas State University as an electrical engineer in 1943, Edward King Jr. took a job on the East Coast with RCA designing aircraft radio equipment for the U.S. Navy. He soon returned to the Midwest, and in 1948, he founded his first company, Communications Accessories Corporation, which in 1956 was purchased by Collins. In 1959, King resigned as CAC's president to found King Radio Corporation, which developed and produced world-class navigation and communication equipment for aircraft.

Using King Radio products, Voyager flew around the globe on one tank of fuel in 1986. In 1991, King's career went in a new direction when he and his family founded the King Estate Winery in Eugene (OR), where he is currently chairman of the board and active in daily marketing activities.

FMI: www.nbaa.org/conventions/2003