THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 16, 1995 TAG: 9508160369
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: CAMARILLO, CALIF. LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
Rick Fessenden, 47, of Camarillo, Calif., lost his life Saturday, Aug. 12th, while demonstrating a high performance experimental aircraft, the Berkut, in the Santa Paula Airshow.
Rick was fortunate to spend his life doing what he truly loved, flying! He accumulated over 4,000 flight hours and 600 carrier landings as a U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot flying the RF-8, F-4, F-14, and F/A-18 aircraft. He also flew the F-104 in an exchange duty tour with the West German Navy.
Rick was the first Navy pilot to fly the F/A-18 aircraft through TOP GUN, the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School. Additionally, he was the first Navy pilot to fly the F/A-18 as a demonstration pilot in U.S. Navy airshows.
Rick completed his distinguished 20-year career in the U.S. Navy at Pt. Mugu where he was the Chief Test Pilot for the Pacific Missile Test Center. After his retirement, he was employed as a pilot with American Airlines. Aviation was his life and Rick demonstrated the Berkut in airshows around the country. He had a tremendous zest for life as typified by his participation in the Ventura Master Chorale, his roles in local community theater, and his enthusiastic support of his children's activities.
He is survived in Camarillo by his wife, Judy; sons, Chris and Andrew; daughter, Sarah; his mother and father, Wyn and Tad Fessenden of Indian Wells, Calif.; his sisters, Diane Fessenden of Santa Fe, N.M., Pauline Corcoran of San Diego, Calif., and Pamela Canning of Mesa, Ariz.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB