A resident of Alaska for more than fifty years, Don Ronda arrived in Alaska in 1956, just prior to statehood. He was a certified teacher and school administrator and spent 46 years as an educator in Alaska’s schools. He was also a trained civil engineer, an avid model builder, a wood-worker, and a skilled carpenter. Through the years he worked as an engineer for the Alaska Railroad, a commercial fisherman, a boat builder, a pilot boat captain, and a charter boat operator. For many years Don held a Private Pilot license. In the 1990’s he assisted in the rebuild of a float equipped 1929 Travel Air 6000, the last of its kind to be used as an air taxi in Alaska’s bush. He was also an active member of the Kenai Peninsula’s chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). During this time he built and flew a 7/8 scale replica NIEUPORT-17 World War I fighter which now resides in the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum in Anchorage.