Aviation safety advocate, AOPA colleague mourned

Lawton was born in New Britain, Connecticut, to parents Richard and Madeline Lawton. His passion for aviation started early—at age 15 he completed his first solo flight at Willow Run Airport in Michigan.

Lawton’s aviation career spanned 40 years, beginning at AOPA shortly after earning his degree in Air Commerce with Flight Technology at Florida Institute of Technology. By the mid-1980s Lawton had worked his way up to director of operations of the Air Safety Foundation (now known as the Air Safety Institute.) Under his leadership, the foundation conducted landmark research in human factors, which culminated in the publication of three aeronautical decision-making manuals in 1986.

After his work at AOPA, Lawton continued to make advancements in aviation safety, moving on to work for Wyvern Consulting as director of operations, IFR Refresher magazine as editor in chief, and the Flight Safety Foundation as an editorial consultant. His expertise in aviation safety also put him in consulting positions with the FAA and the NTSB.

In 2006, Lawton was brought on as the first employee of the Air Charter Safety Foundation as the organization’s director of safety management. During his tenure at ACSF, he developed the industry audit standard for air charter and fractional operators, partnered with the FAA on air safety program initiatives, and helped grow the foundation from the ground up to encompass 300 member companies.

"It would be difficult to overstate the significance of Russ Lawton in the development of aviation safety programs for on-demand charter operators and corporate flight departments,” said ACSF president Bryan Burns. “A true gentleman and beloved industry colleague, Russ was respected for his vision, leadership, integrity, knowledge, and strong advocacy for our aviation safety community.”

In 2022, Lawton and Burns were awarded the Business Aviation Meritorious Service Award by the Flight Safety Foundation for their contributions to business and charter aviation safety.

A celebration of life was held on February 10 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lawton is survived by his wife, Sherryl Marshall, and his stepdaughter, Cara Marshall, and her two sons, Tyler and Carter Sandt.