Richard McSpadden (Provided photo — AOPA)

LAKE PLACID — The aviation community suffered an “immeasurable loss” on Sunday after Richard McSpadden, the 63-year-old senior vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and a pilot with an “infectious passion” for flight and aircraft safety, died in a plane crash at the Lake Placid Airport.

McSpadden and Lake Placid Airways co-owner and former NFL tight end Russ Francis were killed when the Cessna 177 Cardinal Francis was piloting crashed during takeoff.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is a nonprofit organization which advocates for general aviation. McSpadden was a prominent voice in this organization and in the general aviation community.

The organization said McSpadden is survived by his wife, Judy; his son, Grant; and his daughter, Annabel.

“Our thoughts are with Richard’s family at this time,” AOPA wrote in a post on its website.

McSpadden started flying as a teenager. He taught his kids to fly, and his dad is a pilot.

“Flying is in the McSpadden family,” Blinderman said.

On Monday, Blinderman said it was a tough day for everyone at the AOPA.

“People are trying to process,” Blinderman said. “This is a hard one.”

McSpadden had been with the AOPA since 2017, first as the executive director of AOPA’s Air Safety Institute and since 2020 as the senior VP.

“They’re all saying, Richard was a leader. He wasn’t a boss,” Blinderman said. “You always felt that you were working with Richard, and not for Richard.”

He said McSpadden was a great communicator with a passion for sharing important information who put out content that connected with the general aviation community — podcasts, YouTube videos and articles. Blinderman said he fostered a culture of safety within general aviation.

“Richard’s contribution to general aviation, I would say, is strengthening the culture of safety under which we fly right now, because, according to data, we are in the safest era for general aviation ever,” Blinderman said.

McSpadden was dedicated to aircraft safety. He wrote many reports on crashes, which served as guides to others on how to avoid tragedy. His death in an airplane crash struck to the heart of the aviation enthusiasts who followed his work.

McSpadden was beloved in the aviation community. On Sunday evening, many gathered in comment sections below industry reports of his death to say they always looked forward to his writing.

“This is like losing a friend,” a user named Kit Farwell wrote beneath an article on AVweb. “Even if we only knew him from his columns, we felt like we knew him. He will be missed.”

A common thread in the comments was acknowledging the danger of their hobby. Some said McSpadden’s death is making them reconsider it.

“I usually take crash reports analytically and try to learn from them. Having seen Richard speak in person several times this is different,” a user named only “Kurt” wrote beneath an article on AVweb. “Makes me rethink my 20(-plus) years of flying and whether to continue.”

McSpadden served in the Air Force for 20 years, including more than 100 flight demonstrations as the commander and flight leader of Air Force’s Thunderbirds, the U.S. fighter planes known for their spins, flips, tight formation and accuracy.

“When the Thunderbirds would do their air shows, Richard not only was commander, but he was the pilot of the lead aircraft,” Blinderman said.

He said McSpadden had more than 5,000 hours of flying military and civilian aircraft.

“He was a talented pilot, but he was an even better colleague and a better friend,” Blinderman said.

It was McSpadden’s character and personality that made him a mentor and leader in the general aviation community. Blinderman said he was confident but humble.

“He was the kind of person that if you weren’t aware of his accomplishments, you weren’t going to be unless you searched, because he wasn’t going to tell you,” Blinderman said.

This sentiment was echoed by many of the general aviation community members who recalled their meetings with McSpadden.

He loved his family, colleagues and general aviation community.

“That’s the love he wore on his sleeve,” Blinderman said.

To read more about the crash go to https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2023/10/hard-roll-to-the-left/

To read more about Francis’ life go to https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2023/10/living-to-fly/