Donald E. Fink, Jr., a native of Michigan, attended high school in Minnesota and earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. He learned to fly at the age of fifteen and, after receiving a commission through the University's AFROTC program, served four years in the U. S. Air Force, including three years with NATO in France. After completing his Air Force active duty commitment, he joined the McGraw-Hill Companies in New York City and started a 35-year career with "Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine." He had assignments in Aviation Week bureaus in New York; Washington, DC; Geneva, Switzerland; Paris, France; Los Angeles, and finally New York. He was named… Assistant Managing Editor, and Managing Editor, and served the last ten years as the magazine's Editor-in-Chief, with additional duties as Editorial Director for Aviation Week's group of magazines, newsletters, and television productions. Fink holds commercial single and multiengine ratings in fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. His assignments with Aviation Week involved flying civilian and military aircraft and helicopters for pilot reports published in the magazine. The highlight of these activities involved flying the USAF/Lockheed U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft on a long-endurance mission with a U-2 instructor. He lives in Virginia, with his wife, Carolyn. They have three married sons and five grandchildren.