Bill was Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation from 2000 to 2020. During his stewardship, the monthly magazine received scores of awards for editorial excellence.
He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award from the National Business Aviation Association; the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Aerospace Media Awards; the Aviation Journalism Award from the National Air Transportation Association; and an Aerospace Journalist of the Year Award for Business Aviation.
Previously, Bill served as Managing Editor of Aviation Week Television. He was the top editor for both Flying and Professional Pilot magazines, as well as a member of the senior editorial staff at Reader's Digest. He also managed communications for FlightSafety International.
Bill has authored or co-authored three aviation books, was an essayist for National Public Radio, wrote aviation documentaries for The Discovery Channel and has written for numerous publications including The New York Times, Smithsonian Air & Space, Popular Mechanics and The Associated Press, among others.
An active aviator, Bill holds a Commercial Pilot license, along with multiengine, instrument, seaplane and glider ratings.
THE ASSIGNMENT WAS CLEAR: The thingamajig at the bottom of the kitchen sink drain had corroded to the point that the brass catchall cross had disappeared altogether. Since the kids for some reason keep removing the catch baskets, the drainpipes were filling with spaghetti scrapings, broccoli bits, soggy fries and other decaying detritus. It was gross.
AN UNEXPECTED RESIGNATION prompted us to place a classified ad in the local daily, hoping to attract a pleasant but persnickety desk editor. Meanwhile, a young librarian with literary yearnings happened upon our ad and felt a frisson. Two days later Stacie Raffaele was interviewing in our offices and three weeks after that, she was at work editing this message. That's happy, coincidental convergence. When task forces merge to pulverize an enemy, that's convergence, too -- but directed, confrontational and devastating.
A farm kid interested in aviation, college grad Tiahrt soon got a job at Boeing Wichita, and remained some 14 years. His programs included the Space Station's environmental controls, weapons interface on the Comanche and maintenance for Air Force One. A political conservative, he ran for a seat in the state house (and lost), state senate (and won) and in 1994 against veteran congressman Dan Glickman, whom he defeated. 1 What was Boeing's reaction to you running for Congress?
