Ryszard Zadow, known also as Richard to many, was interested in flying from birth. Fanned by aviation stories retold by his parents and watching crop dusters deftly maneuver above the orange groves, in his childhood home state of Texas, Ryszard continues to pursue his lifetime passion for flight.
Ryszards mother and father supported his interest in aviation. He remembers one notable adventure in which his father brought him to a Confederate Air Force air show when the CAF was still based in Harlington, TX.
When Ryszard was 15, a local celebrity named Al Cisneros, hometown hero and school alumni was visiting the students and signing autographs at St Joes (Go Bloodhounds). Encouraged by his mother to go speak with the decorated Vietnam War veteran and Blue Angel pilot. Al signed Ryszards program.
Ryszard moved up through the cadet ranks in the Civil Air Patrol and persevered toward earning his pilot license by any means possible. He built time at Weiser Air Park and solo'd at the David Wing Hooks Airport in Houston in his late teens. He earned his private pilot license while attending University at Texas A&M where he helped found the A&M Skydivers club and personally flew jumpers. Ryszard joined the Army National Guard and earned a commission in January 1983 with the Navy. Among his many accomplished roles for the military, Ryszard flew as a Radar Intercept officer on F-14 Tomcats and eventually completed his career as an A-4 Adversary instructor.
He left the Navy after Desert Storm in the early 1990's and accepted a position as a pilot for TWA and later Southwest Airlines. To his great delight, Ryszard one day found himself on the flight deck of a Southwest 737 flying with his childhood hero Al Cisneros! Ryszard remains close with Al to this day and describes him as an Uncle.
Ryszards Canard experience goes back almost as long as his career. In 1983 Ryszard purchased the MILLETT VARI-EZE N930L. Many years later, he had the opportunity to purchase the Cozy Jet N722 "Kerosene Dreams" built by Greg Von Richter and flew it on a return to Oshkosh. These days he’s slumming around in a Berkut N9041H named the Mississippi Queen.
Ryszard’s commitment to the Rutan canard community runs deep. In 2014 Ryszard established the 501c3 organization known as the Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience (pronounced "raa-fee" for short). In his own words, Ryszard: "founded RAFE to spread the word about the mission and tell the story of the dedication, the commitment and the spirit poured into the aircraft designed by Burt Rutan and built by the Owners."
With primary bases of operation in Ellington, TX and Covington, TN, Ryzard recently retired from Southwest Airlines and now dedicates himself to the development of RAFE full time. He lives on a house-boat in Key-mah, TX, mostly because he wasn't able to find a suitable aircraft to live in, yet.
