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.
My midday meeting was 1,000 miles away and since B/CA has yet to take delivery of its Gulfstream Express BCJ EX, I bought a ticket on an early morning flight out of homeport, Westchester County Airport. It was still dark when we dozen sleepy pilgrims shuffled aboard the Comair RJ. I took my window seat and groggily watched the lighted digital clock on the terminal wall count down to push-back, which occurred right on schedule. Presently, we were climbing into a star-filled sky.
For the business aviation community the year 2000 was memorable for its economic solidity and expanding constituency. Aircraft manufacturers are reporting multibillion-dollar backlogs. Fractionals are growing at dizzying rates. Utilization is up across the board. Business aircraft operators are showing excellent returns. All in all, it's been a good year.
Long before launching for the NBAA's 53rd annual convocation, I was well aware of business aviation's robust health. The association had presented me with convention facts and figures beforehand -- total number of vendors, booth space square footage, estimated attendees, aircraft on display -- which were all giddily impressive. Still, I was eager to get to New Orleans and take measure for myself. Once there, the full impact didn't strike until I began pacing the enormous Ernest N. Morial Convention Hall, most of which was full of airplane people and things.
