The NBAA Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professionalism and leadership in support of business aviation safety. “Humility is really key to being a true safety leader,” notes David Ryan, vice president of aviation for MI Aviation Holdings and one of the seven business aviation professionals honored with the Kern Award for 2021. “Safety leaders need to be able to admit mistakes, always be willing to learn from those mistakes and share what they’ve learned.”
In this episode of NBAA’s “Flight Plan,” host Rob Finfrock speaks with four of this year’s NBAA Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award recipients:
David Ryan, vice president, aviation, MI Aviation Holdings
Jared VanLue, Part 121 line pilot
Nick Verdea, CAM, director, aviation and corporate travel, The Williams Companies
Michael Webb, CAM, senior manager, aircraft maintenance, The Williams Companies
With the New Year quickly approaching, we look back on the most popular episodes of NBAA’s Flight Plan podcast over the past 12 months, which featured discussions about professionalism and safety, the relationship between sustainability and emerging technologies in business aviation and how NBAA works with the FAA to keep pilots flying safely through areas of convective weather.
Although business aviation is not a cause of aviation system delays, weather and other factors can pose unexpected travel challenges. If business aviation is in your planning this holiday season, it's best to prepare for potential delays.
Attracting the next generation of business aviation professionals is a top priority throughout the industry, and local and regional groups are often the first point-of-contact for students and young people seeking information about the industry and its potential opportunities.
The end of the year is often a stressful time for business aircraft operators that are grappling with tax issues, particularly if they've purchased an airplane hoping to take advantage of higher bonus depreciation rates. Aviation managers shouldn’t wait until the final weeks of the year to develop their tax strategy.