AOPA has named current VP of Airports and State Advocacy Mike Ginter as the new head of the Air Safety Institute. Ginter replaces Richard McSpadden, who was killed in a plane crash in Lake Placid, New York, earlier this year. Like McSpadden, who led the Air Force Thunderbirds, Ginter is a retired military pilot. He retired as a Navy captain after 27 years as a naval aviator. He now owns a Bonanza and a Cessna 172 that is being used by his wife Donna for flight training.
“Mike is an active flyer who understands the real-world challenges GA pilots face,” said AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker. “His down-to-earth approach to making every flight safer resonates with pilots of all experience levels.” Ginter said he plans to continue the legacy of the organization. “It’s important to meet pilots where they are with practical tools and information they can really use, and no organization does that better than ASI,” he said.
I believe Mcspadden was killed in that Cardinal crash in 2023; October 1st 2023 or thereabouts.
Best of luck to Mike Ginter in his new role.
Congrats Mike in your new role. McSpadden is terribly missed, and undoubtedly some big shoes to fill, but you will do fine to honor Richard’s legacy.
I flew our King Air in the Capitol Overflight. Mike Ginter did most of the organization and planning for the event. I asked how he was going to coordinate aircraft of varying speed so as to arrive precisely (within 10 seconds) of the appointed time for the benefit of the announcers, TV, Cable, and Social Media people–Ginter said “We will do it by TIME–as we did in the Air Wing–everyone has an appointed engine start time, taxi time, and takeoff time.” IT WORKED TO PERFECTION!
Ginter also helped in the unprecedented approval of the overflight itself–and actually got the FAA, Capitol Police, Transportation Security Administration, and the Secret Service to all work together to make this happen. The guy just makes things WORK–he conducted the briefings, checked paperwork, coordinated the ramp checks by all of the agencies, and even filed the flight plans so the clearance was available right after liftoff from Fredericksburg. The guy just “Makes the Impossible–POSSIBLE!”
Thx for that insight!