GA icon 'Russ' Meyer Jr. mourned

Meyer's death, at age 93, was announced by Textron Aviation, the modern corporate parent of the storied Cessna Aircraft Co., which Meyer led as chairman and CEO for decades.

Born in Davenport, Iowa, Russell W. "Russ" Meyer Jr. earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1954, and in 1961 graduated from Harvard Law School. From 1955 to 1958 he served as a jet pilot in the U.S. Air Force and from 1958 to 1961 as a fighter pilot with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. From 1966 to 1974 he was president and CEO of Grumman American Aviation Corp.

Meyer joined Cessna as executive vice president in 1974 and was named chairman and CEO the following year, leading the company until 2003; he was named chairman emeritus in 2005. An instrument-rated commercial pilot with more than 17,000 hours flown, Meyer oversaw development of the hugely successful  Citation family of business jets.  It was Cessna's piston line that helped establish an enduring legacy.  

Meyer, along with other industry leaders, halted single-engine piston production in the 1980s, in the face of spiraling product liability costs. His lobbying was instrumental in the passage of the 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act, a federal law that limits the time during which aircraft manufacturers can be held liable for accidents involving their products or parts. Meyer ordered the resumption of Cessna’s piston aircraft production, and the new federal law also helped Piper Aircraft to emerge from bankruptcy, enabled kitplane builders to pursue certification, and led to the production of 43,000 single-engine piston aircraft by 2023.

Former AOPA President Phil Boyer recalled the importance of Meyer's leadership in restarting piston production:

"In taking this action he truly had the piston airplane pilot/owner in mind, in spite of Cessna’s growth in the business jet market during that time. Under his leadership AOPA gave away the first 172 and 182 off the production line when Cessna restarted back in the piston market. Personally, he was always available to support general aviation causes from FAA rulemaking to airport GA access.  Most importantly, to me personally, he was a first-class gentleman."

Another industry veteran of the period, Pete Bunce–the longtime president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association/ said that Meyer's contribution to the survival of general aviation was pivotal. "Had he not put his tremendous energy and powers of persuasion behind convincing congressional leadership to provide common sense liability protections for aircraft manufacturers, the entry level part of the U.S. market would have rapidly withered away," Bunce wrote in an email. "This in-turn would have significantly altered access to training aircraft and affordable flight instruction that was needed to fill the ranks of military, commercial, and business aviation aviators that aviation in the 21st century as we know it, demands."

Meyer also conceived the Citation Special Olympics Airlift in 1986, transporting thousands of athletes to the Special Olympics USA Games since.

“Russ was a remarkable human being and one of the most respected leaders I have ever known. I held Russ in the highest regard, not only for his extraordinary business acumen, but for the integrity, humility and genuine care he showed for people at every stage of his life,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation, in a press release.

His many awards and honors include the 1986 and 1996 Robert J. Collier Trophy for the worldwide safety record of the Cessna Citation fleet, and for designing the Cessna Citation X, respectively;  the 1995 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association for Meyer’s leadership in the revitalization GA; and the 2023 R.A. “Bob” Hoover award from AOPA for his lifetime commitment to GA. In 2009 he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

“Over the past five plus decades, there has been no Cabinet Secretary, Governor, Senator, Congressman or FAA Administrator who has had a bigger impact on aviation policy than Russ Meyer. From the creation of the Airport and Airways Trust Fund in 1970 to passage of the FAA Reauthorization Bill of 2024, Russ has been involved,” said Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association. 

Acting AOPA Co-Presidents Katie Pribyl and Jill Baker echoed the sentiments expressed by other aviation leaders, particularly that Meyers legacy will long endure: "His fingerprints are on everything we cherish about flying today."