It is with great sadness that we inform friends and colleagues of the news of Arvin Basnight’s death. He had been ill for a while, and had been fighting valiantly.

Arvin served as FAA Western Regional Director and retired with 40 years of service in 1977. We remember him with sincere fondness; he was a friend to the FAA throughout his retirement years. He was greatly respected by those who worked with him, both in government and industry. Arvin was to officiate at the opening of the "FAA Time Capsule" in May 2000, since he was the Regional Director at the time the building was dedicated and the capsule was put in place at the entrance. Since his retirement, Arvin was an active member in several aviation organizations including the Aero Club and Red Barons.

Arvin was also a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Los Angeles Section, Wright Flyer Project. He participated in taking the 1903 Wright Flyer replica airplane to NASA, with eight days of stops along the way at schools to share the genius of the Wright brothers with the kids. In April 1999, the airplane returned to Southern California to its new home at the Federal Aviation Administration Regional Office Flight Deck Museum in Hawthorne.

Born in 1915, Arvin was 84 years old. He will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues.

~contributed by Marilyn Ramsey