Story ID: 003
People in Aviation
By: James Careless
Caption: Aviation leaders mourn loss of Richard McSpadden
Word Count: 1457
Comlux has promoted Adam White to CEO of Comlux Completion in Indianapolis. He was formerly v-p of program management. Comlux has also appointed Daron Dryer to its board of directors team. Dryer was CEO of Comlux Completion from 2019 to 2023.
Stanton & Partners Aviation has hired Benoit Defforge as CEO. He is the former president of Airbus Group's corporate aviation division. The company has also appointed Michael Nelson as COO and general counsel. He was previously a partner in the law firm Clyde & Co.
Chris Lee was promoted to president of 1st Source Bank’s aviation finance division, replacing David Hudak who retired on September 30. Lee joined 1st Source Bank in July 2020 as relationship sales officer/v-p in Austin, Texas.
SkyGrid appointed Jia Xu as CEO, succeeding Amir Husain who will remain with the company as a board member. Previously, Xu served as the chief technology officer for unmanned aerial systems and urban air mobility at Honeywell Aerospace.
Go Rentals has hired Noël Mika Bahamón as chief marketing officer. She previously served as CMO with Jet Edge International.
Maria Cilia is now head of base maintenance and CEO of Lufthansa Technik Malta, while Pat Foley has become CEO and managing director of Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon. Cilia’s last position was head of planning and engineering at Lufthansa Technik Sofia. Foley was previously the company’s senior director of business development, aircraft maintenance services, Americas.
Revv Aviation has appointed Jayson Scott Wilson as president. He was previously chief commercial officer/chief operating officer at Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines.
Suran Wijayawardana has joined FlyHouse as chief aviation officer. He was previously COO at Alerion Aviation.
Allen McReynolds was appointed COO for West Star Aviation. Prior to this appointment, McReynolds was managing partner at SeaTec Consulting.
The Air Traffic Control Association has hired Carey Fagan as its incoming CEO and president. Fagan recently retired from the FAA after 33 years with the agency.
Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) has appointed Greg Heine as senior v-p of JSSI Maintenance Software strategy and operations. He was previously an advisor (and prior to that CEO) at Vessel Vanguard.
Solairus Aviation has added Jim Simpson and Scott Galdi to the company’s executive management team. Simpson was formerly senior managing partner of First Republic Bank’s aviation and marine lending team. Galdi joined Solairus after being regional marketing manager at FlightSafety International.
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has appointed Tim White as v-p of engineering and technology. White joins the AIA from his former position at Interos as aerospace and defense industry principal.
Boston JetSearch has promoted Lara Jaugust to v-p of transactions. She most recently held the position of client services manager at the company, having joined Boston JetSearch in 2018.
MagniX has appointed Tim Allen as v-p of sales and marketing. Allen comes to magniX from Garmin International, where he served as commercial aviation OEM sales manager.
The Jet Agent has hired Jessica Dezart as sales director for the Citation Mustang, CJ, CJ1/CJ1+, and CJ2/CJ2+ markets. Prior to this post, Dezart was a full-time sales director and contract Learjet 60 pilot at Paradise Jets.
Alejandro Noriega was appointed as a Mexico-based sales director for Jetcraft. After more than a decade spent trading aircraft at Aerolineas Ejecutivas, Noriega will serve Jetcraft customers in Mexico as well as Central and South America.
Ontic has appointed Joshua Florio as general manager of its Creedmoor site in North Carolina. Florio was previously v-p/general manager of AAR’s Landing Gear Services in Miami.
Jet East has hired Charlton Resurreccion as director of appearance operations. Resurreccion began his career as a ramp service agent, learned about aircraft cleaning and detailing, and eventually led teams in this area.
Bargate Murray has appointed Robert Calleja as senior associate. Calleja comes to the firm from Watson Farley & Williams, where he was a lawyer.
Eric Tabor was hired by Privaira Private Aviation as director of fleet development. Tabor was previously co-owner of Life Lift Organ Recovery.
Aviation accident law firm Kreindler & Kreindler has promoted attorney Evan Katin-Borland to partner. Katin-Borland has practiced aviation law with the firm since 2012, after moving from Itkowitz & Harwood where he was an associate.
Precision Aviation Group (PAG) has hired Meghan Brock as v-p and general manager of Trace Aviation, a member of PAG’s Components Services division.
Aerocare Aviation Services has appointed Jonathan Bird as head of business development and sales. He was formerly CEO and co-owner of Aeroco Group International.
Patrick Etie has joined Duncan Aviation's Turbine Engine Service Sales Team as a sales specialist. He was formerly regional engine manager at Turbine Engine Specialists.
Awards and Honors
Ross Perot, Jr. has won the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) 2023 Bruce Whitman Memorial Trophy. Perot is being recognized for his commitment in preserving, recognizing, and sharing the impact of America’s military heroes to inspire future generations of fliers. In 2019, the NBAA presented Perot with the Meritorious Service to Aviation Award.
Final Flight
Aviation leaders mourned the loss of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association executive Richard McSpadden, who died last month in an aircraft accident outside Lake Placid, New York. McSpadden, who had served as senior v-p of the AOPA Air Safety Institute and was revered by many for his safety advocacy, was 63.
AOPA released a statement saying it was deeply saddened to report that McSpadden and one other person (former NFL football star Russ Francis) had passed away on October 1 after the Cardinal 177 they were flying in crashed as it was returning to Lake Placid Airport.
“The Cardinal 177 in which Richard was in the right seat experienced an emergency after takeoff. The airplane attempted to return to the airport but failed to make the runway,” AOPA said.
The association called McSpadden “a very accomplished pilot, including serving as commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds during his military career, a trusted colleague, friend, son, husband, and father.”
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen further praised McSpadden, saying his “pioneering work in flight safety, including his leadership in education and training, saved countless lives.”
McSpadden joined AOPA in February 2017 to lead the Air Safety Institute as executive director and was promoted to senior v-p in July 2020. He additionally served as the industry chair for the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee.
Originally from Panama City, Florida, McSpadden began flying as a teenager and had amassed well over 5,000 hours in civilian and military aircraft. Holding an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Georgia and a Master of Public Administration from Troy University, he was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force War College and spent 20 years in the service.
During his time in the Air Force, he held the roles of commander and flight leader of the Thunderbirds flight demonstration team, leading more than 100 flight demonstrations.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce remembered their time together in the service. “Spad was a close friend. We flew F-15s together over the skies of Iraq, worked closely within the airshow community when he served as the leader of the USAF Thunderbirds, and we flew the Idaho backcountry together," Bunce said, calling him "a true giant...I have never known an aviator with finer pilot skills who then in turn selflessly helped others benefit from his vast expertise with such humility that pilots at any experience level felt comfortable learning in Spad’s presence.”
Before joining the Air Safety Institute, McSpadden held key roles in the information technology industry. While at AOPA, he led the development and creation of a range of aviation safety programs, analyses, and materials that were distributed throughout the general aviation industry.
“[The National Air Transportation Association] was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Richard McSpadden. The general aviation community will forever be a better place due to Richard’s guidance, expertise, and warmth, as well as his willingness to share it with the world,” added NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna.
A commercial pilot with CFII, MEI with an SES, MES, and a 525S (Citation Jet Single Pilot) type rating, McSpadden taught his son to fly and instructed his daughter to solo in their Piper Super Cub.
McSpadden is survived by his wife Judy, his son Grant, and his daughter Annabel.