The Gainesville Regional Airport has hosted its annual Gator Fly-In and Armed Services Appreciation Day for eight years. While there will be many vendors, activities and planes this year, one person in particular is missing.
Commander Lt. Col. Richard “Spad” McSpadden, an accomplished pilot and flight instructor who served as Commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, died in an aircraft accident last October.
“Right before he passed, he sent me an email,” said Pamela Landis, the event coordinator for the Gator Fly-In. “He had his hotel booked and was ready to be here.”
McSpadden had attended the Gator Fly-In in past years and was very special to the flight community in Gainesville, according to Landis.
The year’s event at the University Flight School will honor McSpadden with a "Flown West" ceremony, to represent pilots who are always flying west to keep up with the sun. A squadron of T-6 Texan and T-34 Mentors will take flight at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday to honor him.
In addition to the tribute, the event will feature a celebration of the women in aviation.
“We want to recognize the struggles that women have had in aviation,” Landis said. “We also want to celebrate how far we have come and all of the opportunities available to us.”
The gates will open at 11 a.m. with opening ceremonies starting at 1 p.m.
“It’s an exciting day for our community, especially anyone who is curious about flight,” said Allan Penksa, the CEO of Gainesville Regional Airport.
Erin Porter, the marketing and public relations manager for the airport, says that they expect about 7,500 people to attend.
There will be activities for children, live music, Porsche Club cars, food trucks, aircraft displays and flights over “The Swamp” for purchase.
“We look forward to sharing this very special celebration at our airport with the community,” Penska said.
For more information about the event, visit the airport's website.
