AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2022 - 24

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
A tribute to
Jim Richmond
CubCrafters founder leaves a legacy
THIS WEEK I thought about Jim Richmond, founder of CubCrafters,
builders of the popular Carbon Cub aircraft series. Updating my
logbooks, I came across a few of the many supplemental type certificate
(STC) modifications that Jim designed for Super Cubs. Jim
died peacefully at age 67 in December, surrounded by a close, supportive
family. I wanted to know Jim better than I did, and after
attending his inspiring celebration of life in Yakima, Washington,
I'm sorry I didn't get that chance.
While his designs are beloved by backcountry pilots, Jim's genius
in aircraft innovation seems underappreciated by other segments of
general aviation. That appeared to be fine with him-maybe even
preferred by him, an introvert with an active and curious mind. His
daughter, Piper, captured it well in her eulogy. She said Jim was
comfortable in stillness, where his mind could wander and dream
and play. He called on musings from stillness to guide his active life
and the company he founded and led brilliantly for 40 years.
Jim achieved the admirable position of being revered by peers-
both pilots and aircraft designers-and deeply loved by friends and
family who knew him best. He didn't hold court in large settings or
need volumes of followers or " likes. " The best way to know Jim was
around a campfire in the backcountry where his reserved demeanor
and thoughtful dialogue seemed in their natural habitat.
Jim earned his pilot and airframe and powerplant mechanic
certificates at Moody Aviation, a missionary-focused aviation
school. He took to the Piper Super Cub for its honest flying characteristics
and backcountry capability. He began " flipping " Super
Cubs at a time when flipping airplanes for a profit was hard to do.
His experience flying airplanes in remote areas, combined with
his work repairing and restoring airplanes, stimulated his vigorous
mind to design solutions for the problems he encountered in
the field. His keen eye for seeing design flaws and his relentless
drive for improvement became defining character traits. Even after
handing over day-to-day operations at CubCrafters, he'd walk the
factory floor, offering suggestions to improve processes, parts, or
aircraft performance. The people at CubCrafters respected him
for it. His customers loved him for it. Today, CubCrafters is the
largest producer of purpose-built backcountry airplanes, selling
close to 100 airplanes and kits a year.
Jim was a risk-taker who was maniacal about safety. He disrupted
aircraft manufacturing by leveraging nuances in FAA
24
AOPA PILOT / February 2022
BY RICHARD MCSPADDEN / Senior Vice President
AOPA Air Safety Institute
aircraft certification rules to rebuild Piper Super Cubs under
the " spare and surplus " rule, and then developed the CC18 Top
Cub, a derivative of the Piper Super Cub. He defended his business
strategy vigorously in FAA negotiations and legal battles with
competitors. Those who only knew him as a quiet, understated
pilot and mechanic were surprised by his deep intelligence and
competitive fire. He emerged from the rough and tumble startup
phase with CubCrafters, a company that implemented some
47 safety modifications in design or manufacturing processes to
the Piper Super Cub type design. Some of the CubCrafters safety
modifications resulted from Jim's unique schemes, like the headerless
fuel system, which he designed into the Top Cub and then
made available to all Super Cubs via STC. Many of us who fly the
PA-18 have multiple CubCrafters STCs that improve the safety
and performance of our Super Cubs-thanks to Jim.
Jim was delightfully incongruous. A deeply spiritual man, he
brewed beer and would haul it to backcountry fly-ins, where he'd
share it with friends and newcomers. He would explain at length
his recipes and brewing process, which were, of course, always
changing and improving. He'd breach a serious demeanor with
side-splitting humor, and he loved to pull a ruse.
Roger Meggers, one of the top tube-and-fabric aircraft rebuilders
in the country, shared a story about the time he got a call from
Jim, who had stopped in Baker, Montana, on the way to Oshkosh.
" Roger, come to the airport, I need your help, " Jim said. " My tailwheel
has fallen off. "
Roger hurried to the airport, wondering how that could possibly
happen to one of Jim's exquisite airplanes. Roger pulled up
and got his first look at Jim's newest design, the NXCub (a Carbon
Cub with a nosewheel), and there stood Jim, smiling at his prank.
In safety, it's hard to measure the accidents that don't happen,
but there's no doubt that, through his innovation and
tenacity, Jim thwarted accidents
and saved lives. Jim
Richmond has flown west.
Through his work, he spared
others from untimely flights
west. What better legacy to
leave in aviation?
richard.mcspadden@aopa.org
A native of Panama
City, Florida, RICHARD
MCSPADDEN started flying
as a teenager and has logged
more than 5,000 hours
flying a variety of civilian and
military aircraft.
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2022

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