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Richard McSpadden

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Richard McSpadden
McSpadden in 2002
Born1960
Died (aged 63)
Alma materUniversity of Georgia
Troy University
Air War College
Occupation(s)Pilot and educator

Richard Gibson McSpadden (1960 – October 1, 2023)[1] was an American educator and pilot. He became the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI) senior vice-president in 2020, having previously been its executive director from 2017.

Early life

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Richard Gibson McSpadden was born in Panama City, Florida, to Ann and Richard McSpadden, one of their four children.[1][2]

McSpadden began flying in his teenage years, inspired by his pilot father, and was based out of Air Harbor Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. The pursuit turned into a career of over 5,000 flying hours. He taught his son to fly and instructed his daughter to fly solo in the family's Piper Super Cub.[3]

He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Georgia and from Troy University with a master's degree in Public Administration. He also graduated from the U.S. Air Force Air War College.[4]

Career

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McSpadden served in the United States Air Force for twenty years, achieving the role of commander and flight leader of its Thunderbirds demonstration team.[5]

He became a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, with multi-engine land, single-engine seaplane and multi-engine seaplane ratings[3] while also working in information technology.[4]

In 2017, he became executive director of the AOPA's ASI. He was promoted to senior vice-president three years later. He also served as the chairman of the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee. He produced aviation safety material for ASI's YouTube channel[6] and website.[4]

Personal life

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McSpadden was married for 31 years to Judy, with whom he had two children.[1][7]

Death

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On October 1, 2023, McSpadden was killed in an aircraft accident in Lake Placid, New York. He was 63.[8][9][10] He and former American football player Russ Francis were flying a Cessna 177 out of Lake Placid Airport when the aircraft's engine failed. They attempted to return to the airport but crashed into a ravine near it. Both McSpadden and Francis were killed.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Richard McSpadden Obituary (1960–2023) – Frederick, Md, MD – The Frederick News-Post". Legacy.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Nona Halfacre McSpadden Obituary". www.tributearchive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  3. ^ a b dchurch18 (May 9, 2022). "CFS 2022 Speaker Profile: Richard McSpadden". NATCA. Retrieved October 2, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c "2023 CFS Keynote Speakers". NATCA. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  5. ^ "Richard McSpadden". www.aopa.org. March 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Air Safety Institute". YouTube. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  7. ^ Niles, Russ (October 2, 2023). "Air Safety Institute's Richard McSpadden Dies In Crash". AVweb. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Muntean, Pete (October 2, 2023). "Aviation safety expert and ex-NFL star both killed in New York plane crash". CNN. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Two killed in Lake Placid airplane crash identified". Lake Placid News. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  10. ^ "Accident Cessna 177RG Cardinal RG N545PZ". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  11. ^ "AOPA mourns death of Richard McSpadden". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.