Dean Wilson, Founder of Eagle DW-1, Passes Away

Dean Wilson, National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame recipient, passed away at the end of March. He was inducted into the NAAHOF in December 2023.

Dean began flight training at age 13, aviation mechanic training at age 17, and he had thirteen years of experience as an ag pilot. He converted UMF Waco aircraft into ag planes. He was also a flight instructor and flew sailplanes. He planned to design sailplane wings for a Waco, which led him to develop a brand-new agricultural aircraft, the Eagle DW-1 biplane. He spent four years bringing the aircraft from design to production. The Eagle DW-1 had a production run of 90 aircraft from 1979 through 1983. Many of the aircraft are still in use today, with 30 aircraft currently in the FAA’s registration database.

Dean had an aircraft designer’s heart. He went on to develop the Avid Flyer, a kit-built aircraft that is still in production. In 1983, he won the EAA Best New Design for the Avid Flyer. He was the 1998 recipient of the Dr. August Raspet Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to the design of light aircraft. Dean was inducted into the EAA’s Homebuilders Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2014, Dean was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame. The aviation community will miss Dean.