Flight Training - November/December 2023 - 5

BY SARAH DEENER
AOPA MOURNS THE DEATH
OF ITS SAFETY LEADER
RICHARD MCSPADDEN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE AOPA AIR SAFETY
INSTITUTE, DIED OCTOBER 1 IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK.
MCSPADDEN, 63, WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT
of a Cessna Cardinal 177RG that experienced
an emergency after takeoff and
turned toward the airport but failed to
make the runway. The left-seat occupant
of the aircraft, Russ Francis, 70, also died
in the crash.
McSpadden is survived by his wife,
Judy, and his children, Annabel and Grant.
McSpadden came to AOPA in 2017 with
an extensive flying background, including
as former commander and flight leader
of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The
accomplished aviator lived deliberately,
intentionally in the present-leading a
team at the AOPA Air Safety Institute,
cherishing time with family, and savoring
blissful flights in his Piper Super Cub.
" AOPA has lost a great colleague in
Richard McSpadden, and I have lost a
great friend, " said AOPA President Mark
Baker. " Richard represented everything
you ever wanted in a leader, teammate, and
mentor. I spent many hours flying all over
the country with Richard, and spent even
more hours with him and Judy as great
friends. My heart aches for Judy, Grant,
Annabel, and Richard's entire family. "
During his tenure leading the Air
Safety Institute, McSpadden ushered
AOPA's safety education arm into the YouTube
era, introducing popular new video
series focused on improving the GA safety
record and expanding pilots' knowledge
and skills. His approach centered on five
principles of safety: Take knowledgeable
people; train them well; keep them
proficient; put them in reliable, modern
equipment; and surround them in a culture
that supports good decision making.
Inspired by his father, Richard " Dick "
McSpadden Sr., McSpadden began flying
during college and logged more than
5,000 hours flying a variety of civilian
and military aircraft. He capped a 20-year
career with the Air Force as commander
and flight leader of the prestigious Thunderbirds
flight demonstration team. After
more than a decade in the information
technology industry, McSpadden became
executive director of ASI in 2017, then
senior vice president in 2020. Under his
leadership, ASI created the Focused Flight
Review program and introduced popular
new series, including the There I Was
podcast and the Beyond Proficient; Reality
Check; and the Early Analysis videos.
" Words are not coming very easily
right now, but the hundreds of heartfelt
messages I have received from pilots and
partners everywhere over the last day
have done the speaking for Richard's
influence on general aviation, " Baker said.
" I am hard pressed to think of anyone
who made such a positive and tremendous
contribution to all of our members
and the entire GA community. "
sarah.deener@aopa.org
aopa.org/ft/rememberingmcspadden
FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
5
http://www.aopa.org/ft/rememberingmcspadden http://www.aircraftspruce.com
Flight Training - November/December 2023

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