Lieutenant-General David Kinsman is the Commander of the Air Command and the Chief of the Air Staff at
National Defense Headquarters Ottawa. He assumed these appointments on April 1, 1998.
Having grown up in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, Lieutenant-General Kinsman joined the R.C.A.F. in 1963 as a pilot candidate in the regular Officer Training Plan at Acadia University. Upon graduation with a BS degree he began his flying career, first as a student and then as a CT-114 Tutor Flying Instructor at R.C.A.F. Station
Gimli, Manitoba. He went on to instruct at Laredo Air Force Base in Texas on the T-38 Talon.
Lieutenant-General Kinsman flew the CF-101 Voodoo all-weather with the 416th Squadron, Chatham, New Brunswick and with the 425th Squadron, Bagotville, in the early l980's.
Lieutenant-General Kinsman has held command positions at all levels of the air force and the Canadian Forces. He commanded 433 Squadron and, following tours as Deputy Commander of the CF-18 Detachment in St. Louis, Missouri, and as Director of Air Studies at the C.F. Command and Staff College, Toronto, he was appointed
Commander of C.F.B. Cold Lake, Alberta, in l986. In 1988, he took command of 14 Training Group, Winnipeg, and in 1990, became Chief of Staff Operations at Air Command Headquarters. In l994, he assumed command of the Fighter Group and Canadian N.O.R.A.D. Region at 22 Wing, North Bay.
Lieutenant-General Kinsman has held several staff positions at N.D.H.Q. Ottawa. These include Director General Manpower Utilization, and most recently, from 1996-98, Assistant Deputy Minister for Personnel.
Mrs. Audrian Kinsman and Lieutenant-General Kinsman have two daughters, Heather and Andrea.