Amador County – Amador County Board of Supervisors awarded a resolution of recognition Tuesday for Tilden David “Dave” Richards, an Amador County native, pilot and local flying instructor for “his outstanding accomplishments in the field of aviation and his exemplary record of 55 consecutive years of safe flight operations.”

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said Richards is a long-time family friend and a long-time camper at his family’s Plasse’s Resort. Plasse said it was an honor to read the resolution, and also to present a Federal Aviation Administration award to Richards, the “Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award,” which “recognizes pilots who have demonstrated professionalism, skill and aviation expertise by maintaining safe operations for 50 or more years.”

Recipients are awarded a certificate and a lapel pin and are recognized in the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award Roll of Honor. Plasse presented the pins, to Richards, and his wife, and said Richards won the award for “50 years of flying without a single reportable offense,” in a career that included three U.S. Navy flying combat tours. Richards flew for two combat tours assigned with Carrier Early Warning Squadron 11, logging 2,000 hours of flight time from 1961-1965. Richards flew his third combat tour from “March 1969 to August 1970 flying A6 jet aircraft for Attack Squadron 85, Oceana, Virginia, and commanded a fleet support squadron based in the Philippines from October 1972 to May 1975.”

Plasse said Richards treated every takeoff and landing like it was his first. Richards thanked the people in attendance, including friends and FAA members. A majority of those in attendance, nearly filling supervisors’ chambers, were there for the resolution and FAA award. Supervisor Richard Forster said Monday that Richards was the local Chuck Yeager.

The resolution, in part, said Tilden David “Dave” Richards was born in Jackson in 1936, graduated Amador High School in 1954, and received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from San Jose State University. At age 20, Richards received his student pilot certificate, and trained to fly at Westover Field in Martell, in Amador County.

Richards completed his first solo flight on Dec. 29, 1956, flying a Luscombe 8E at Lincoln Airport, and entered the Navy Aviation Officer Training Program in July 1959. He completed the U.S. Navy Advanced Training Program in 1961 with “eight carrier landings in a S2F aircraft on the USS Antietam, and was subsequently appointed a Naval Aviator.

Richards retired from the Navy and went to work for McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Company on the Tomahawk Program, while pursuing a flight instructor’s certificate, which he attained in 1980. The resolution said since then, he returned “home” to Amador County managed Amador County Airport at Westover Field, and own and run Classic Aircraft Service. He is also a commercial pilot, mechanic and flight instructor.

He still flies his Bonanza P-35 out of Westover and is active in the community, serving as secretary of the Jackson Lions Club, and on the Amador County Transportation Commission.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.