Born: United States of America
Primarily active in: United States of America

1923 - 2016

John (Jack) D. Mimnaugh, Sr. was born June 7, 1923 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Granville, New York, and New Canaan, Connecticut. After graduating from St. Basil’s School in Stamford, he entered Springfield College in Massachusetts. However, with World War II ensuing, he interrupted his college education and became a Naval Aviator in the US Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific and then in China. Some of his Marine aviation experiences included flying dive bombers, fighter torpedo bombers, and helicopters.

After the War, he resumed his college education and graduated from Springfield College in 1949. Mimnaugh spent three years in Marine Aviation during the Korean War and then went on to a 45-year career in commercial aviation. Ten of these years were spent with Sikorsky Aircraft as a test pilot. The balance of his career was at Kaman Aerospace as liaison to the US military, and later to foreign military services as well. He was a lifetime member of AHS, serving on the AHS Board of Directors, and was an original member of the Twirly Birds.

Mimnaugh had a number of WWII and Korean War military decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. For rescue activity performed by the Sikorsky test pilot staff during the 1955 flood, Mimnaugh was also awarded his treasured “Winged S,” presented to him by Igor Sikorsky. 

John (Jack) D. Mimnaugh, Sr., of Simsbury, Vermont, passed away on July 17, 2016. He was 93.

AHS Update: Vertilite September/October 2016