Dateline: October 11, 2001

Museum honors CHS grad for work in space exploration

Richard F. Finch, a 1952 graduate of Clarendon High School, was recently inducted into the New Mexico Museum of Space History for his contributions to the US Space program during the years from 1961 through 1997.

Richard made his first significant contribution to space exploration in 1964 when he designed and patented a pressurization test set for General Electric Company and the Gemini Astronauts program at Vandenberg AFB in California and Cap Canaveral in Florida.  The patented test set is still in use today for space flight radio guidance.

Richard also has a patent for crash-protection air bags for both private and commercial aircraft.  Richard also worked at White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico during the mid and late 1960s testing chaff dispensing sounding rockets, and he traveled to Hawaii, Johnson Island, and Kwajalein Island to do further testing. 

He also worked for New Mexico State University Physical Science Lab as data collection engineer for aircraft seat ejection tests, B-52 carpet bombing tests, and moon landing tests during the late 1960s.

Richard also made a significant mark in the aviation industry during the 1970s and 1980s when he worked as a consultant and design engineer for several aircraft companies including Ted Smith Aerostar, Piper Aircraft, Fairchild Aircraft, SAAB-Scania Aircraft, Pan Am, Lockheed Space Operations, and Traco Aviation.  As an engineer consultant, he traveled all over the USA and to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Hawaii, Switzerland, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and to Mexico.  Richard was the certified manager for the SAAB 340 commuter airliner in Sweden in 1982-1983.  In 1997, he was asked to write the metal welding repair section for the FAA Repair Manual that is used by aircraft mechanics worldwide.  The Federal Aviation Administration gave Richard a commendation plaque for that work.

The most interesting and important consulting work done by Mr. Finch was during 1984-1999 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida where he was doing operations analysis for NASA through Pan Am on the space shuttle.  Richard was the engineer in charge of return to flight improvements for emergency egress (escape) after the space shuttle Challenger explosion.  In this position, Richard was responsible for meeting with the astronauts on a daily and weekly basis to get their inputs on safety improvements for returning the space shuttle program to flight status.  The results of his engineering efforts were tested in a full dress rehearsal practice run on May 2, 1988, with over twenty astronauts participating.  As a result of his work on the return to flight project, NASA recommended Richard for the NASA Excellence Award, and ten of the space shuttle astronauts signed a thank you plaque and presented it to Richard.  The plaque is now on display at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, NM.

Richard has also been a writer and a publisher of automotive, welding, and aircraft books for over 26 years and is currently the number one selling author for HP Books Automotive Division of Penguin-Putnam Books of New York City and is on the best sellers list for Motorbooks International, Osceola, WI, the largest automotive and aircraft book company in the world.  Richard’s book, Welder’s Handbook, has sold nearly one million copies and is available in Home Depot Stores and through all internet booksellers such as Amazon.com.  Richard continues to write, publish, and do aviation consulting work worldwide.

Richard attended Clarendon College for two semesters, Abilene Christian College for three semesters, New Mexico State University for one semester, California Polytechnic University for ten years, Allan Hancock College for three years, and the now-defunct University of Beverly Hills for two years.  Richard has AA, AS, BS, and MS degrees and a California College Level Teaching Credential.  He also holds five commercial pilot’s licenses including flight instructor, multi-engine, and instrument pilot’s ratings.

Richard and his wife, Gayle, now live in the sleepy little village of Tularosa, New Mexico.  Richard is the oldest son of former Clarendon residents Richard H. Finch and Travis Finch, who are now deceased.  Richard’s middle brother, Roger Finch, and his wife Carol Finch, now operate the Finch Farm between Clarendon and Lelia Lake.  Roger is employed by Maverick Ranch – a Denver based meat company.  Richard’s only sister, Beth Finch Johnson, is an English teacher in Columbia, South Carolina, and his younger brother, Philip Finch, is a college professor and a respiratory therapist in Medford, Oregon.