Former Aerodrome pilot killed in crash was 'meticulous' in the air
Bill Gordon was meticulous when it came to flight.
Whether ensuring a plane was fit to fly or performing stunts in the sky, safety was key to Gordon, his stepbrother said.
Following his death in a Hudson River plane crash Friday night, the former chief pilot and chief mechanic at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Red Hook was remembered fondly as an accomplished aviator.
Gordon, 56, a part-time Ancramdale, Columbia County resident, was killed when the World War II plane he was flying crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey.
Describing Gordon as detail- and safety-oriented, Fred W. Schneeberger Jr., Gordon's stepbrother and an Ancramdale resident, said the pilot was cautious and always had a back-up plan.
"Whenever we went flying together, he'd always say to always keep an eye out for a place to land if the engine died," Schneeberger said. "Flying over the Hudson River, he probably thought the best place to land it would be the water."
Michael DiGiacomio, a board member and museum president at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, said: "He was an amazing pilot, one of the best in the business.
"He was a great guy,” DiGiacomio said.
Passion for flying
Gordon's formal affiliation with the Aerodrome ended several years ago, but he continued to volunteer. DiGiacomio said Gordon was born, raised and had lived in Ancramdale, Columbia County. Schneeberger said Gordon lived half of the year in Ancramdale and the other half in Key West, Florida.
When he was chief pilot at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, which stages air shows and offers plane rides, Gordon was in charge of other pilots and safety, DiGiacomio said. Gordon, who worked as a commercial pilot, had been the Aerodrome's primary pilot for rides and participated in air shows.
DiGiacomio said flying was Gordon’s “passion.”
Gordon brought an "old-school" work ethic to his job at the aerodrome, especially when it came to checking the planes, Schneeberger said. Safety was priority above all else.
"He did everything from the airframe to the engine, and if one thing was out of place, he'd give it the red tag," Schneeberger said.
And Gordon's caution served him well in 2009 when his engine stalled on takeoff while he was giving plane rides at the Aerodrome.
"He ended up losing power in the air, but he managed to find a spot in the trees to put the plane down," Schneeberger said. There were no injuries, according to Journal archives.
Plane in distress
According to promotional material for a Key West air show held last month, Gordon was a veteran air show pilot with more than 25 years of experience, The website for the April air show says Gordon was an "aerobatic competency evaluator" who certified performers to perform low-level aerobatics.
The crash involving the single-seat P-47 Thunderbolt occurred during a promotion for the American Airpower Museum on Long Island. The museum is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the P-47 this weekend.
The New York City Police Department at 7:29 p.m. Friday responded to a plane in distress in the Hudson River, near the 79th St. Boat Basin, a spokesperson said. Scuba divers recovered Gordon’s body about three hours after the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft Gordon was flying was among three planes that had departed from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, on Long Island, just east of New York City. The other two aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely.
Police divers and Army Corps of Engineers personnel retrieved the wreckage of the plane on Saturday. It was loaded on to a barge and taken to a heliport in lower Manhattan, where investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board can examine it as part of their investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. John W. Barry: jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo. Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW.