Richard McSpadden
Richard McSpadden | |
|---|---|
 McSpadden in 2002 | |
| Born | 1960 Panama City, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | (aged 63) Lake Placid, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University 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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]McSpadden was married for 31 years to Judy, with whom he had two children.[1][7]
Death
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ a b c "Richard McSpadden Obituary (1960–2023) – Frederick, Md, MD – The Frederick News-Post". Legacy.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ "Nona Halfacre McSpadden Obituary". www.tributearchive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ 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) - ^ a b c "2023 CFS Keynote Speakers". NATCA. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Richard McSpadden". www.aopa.org. March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Air Safety Institute". YouTube. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ Niles, Russ (October 2, 2023). "Air Safety Institute's Richard McSpadden Dies In Crash". AVweb. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ Muntean, Pete (October 2, 2023). "Aviation safety expert and ex-NFL star both killed in New York plane crash". CNN. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Two killed in Lake Placid airplane crash identified". Lake Placid News. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Accident Cessna 177RG Cardinal RG N545PZ". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "AOPA mourns death of Richard McSpadden". Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- 1960 births
- 2023 deaths
- Air War College alumni
- American aviators
- American educators
- Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
- People from Panama City, Florida
- Troy University alumni
- University of Georgia alumni
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2023
- Accidental deaths in New York (state)
- United States Air Force Thunderbirds pilots