Kern Award Winner Kodey Bogart: We Must Learn as Much as We Can

Nov. 9, 2022

Kodey Bogart is the first to admit that she can’t sit still. Her six-page bio is testament to the depth of her aviation experience and never-ending quest to learn more – all with a strong focus on aviation safety, especially for rotary-wing and unmanned aircraft.

The CEO of KB Solutions LLC, an aviation consulting firm focusing on safety management system (SMS) development, implementation, regulatory guidance and training, works with a variety of clients in both the manned and unmanned aviation spaces. She is also an associate instructor of SMS with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Transportation Safety Institute.

A former U.S. Army aviator and decorated Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veteran, Bogart has more than 2,500 hours of accident-free flight time in a variety of helicopters and has flown law enforcement and air ambulance missions. She has served as flight safety advisor and instructor for a large training academy and is committed to working with the UAS community on understanding the importance of SMS.

“I want to make positive changes in the aviation industry,” she said.

Not surprisingly, Bogart is a recipient of NBAA’s 2022 Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award, which recognizes individuals in the business aviation industry for outstanding professionalism and leadership in support of aviation safety.

“A true professional is always looking for continued growth and knowledge,” avers Bogart. “For me, it’s always been about picking up a book, reading journal articles, getting more education. It’s important for all of us to get out of our bubble and learn as much as we can.”

For Bogart, who joined the Army immediately after high school, this meant continuing her formal education, even though she didn’t get her undergraduate degree (from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) until nearly 20 years after most people do. She is currently working on her doctorate in aviation at the Florida Institute of Technology and hopes to be teaching several college classes soon.

“I love educating people. It’s so important to pay it forward and to help foster the next generation of safety leaders.”

Having a close relationship with a mentor has also been important for Bogart’s career. In fact, if it weren’t for her mentor encouraging her to undergo refractive eye surgery many years ago, her poor eyesight might have precluded a career in aviation. “And after all these years, he’s still my mentor,” she said.

Three individuals were selected to receive the NBAA Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award in 2022. Created in 2015 to honor Dr. Tony Kern, this peer-nominated award recognizes individual pilots, maintenance technicians, flight attendants, dispatchers and other aviation professionals who excel in leadership in the areas of professional ethics, vocational excellence, continuous improvement, professional engagement, professional image and selflessness.

Learn more about the NBAA Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award.