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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Reading this article gives me chills as my wife and I were part owners of a Cessna Cardinal. We flew that plane hundreds of hours, at times in instrument conditions, and never had any real scary moments. I still miss after work flights from Fitchburg to dinner on Block Island or walks on the beach at Provincetown. I always read the accident reports and was fully aware of the risks, but still, I loved it. Rest in peace, Russ Francis, a great football player and aviator.Damn. This hits home hard for me.
I loved Russ as a player, and he seemed a great guy. I’m also a member of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) and know Sr VP Richard McSpadden was very well regarded. Ironically, he was Executive Director of the AOPA Air Safety Institute. McSpadden was also former commander of the USAF Thunderbirds. Both are tremendous losses.
Plus, I was flying yesterday myself. I missed yesterday’s game because I was delayed getting home when my plane had problems after I flew a friend to NC. I assume Russ experienced a mechanical problem. The article below states that they experienced an emergency after take-off and crashed attempting to return to the airport, which is consistent with mechanical failure.
It also contained this lovely anecdote:
Investigation into fatal Lake Placid plane crash continues
saw a story that said Russ took his first flight lesson on Monday and soloed on Friday, the same week. That’s almost unbelievable. But he also said he was flying three times a day. Sounds pretty intense.I also remember Hasselbeck saying he took him golfing for the first time. Apparently, Don Hasselbeck was an avid golfer. But he couldn’t believe how quickly Russ Francis became good.
Yeah, I remember that as well. Unfortunately he was never the same player after that accident. He lost some of his speed, which is what made him so exceptional. But for the first 2-3 years, he was a joy to watch.He was a natural who lived to push the boundaries. I remember he violated a clause in his contract that prohibited motorcycle riding, which emerged when, as a player during the offseason, he had to recover from a bad motorcycle accident. Don Hasselbeck his backup played in his stead.