Orlando, FL, Nov. 1, 2016 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today honored longtime aviation journalist Dave Higdon with the NBAA Gold Wing Award for insightful reporting about business aviation. Higdon received the award during the No Plane No Gain Media Kick-Off Breakfast at the 2016 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), which runs through Nov. 3 in Orlando, FL.
In his ongoing series for AvBuyer Magazine regarding international operations for business aviation, Higdon examines global airspace management strategies and provides valuable insight into the practical aspects of flying in such diverse regions as India, Russia and South America.
The series launched in March 2016 with a detailed overview of U.S. airspace procedures for international business aviation operators, with Higdon noting that “the United States stands alone in the world for its ease, flexibility and accessibility compared to other regions.”
“In pointing to various challenges in aviation operations outside the U.S., the series makes clear that America’s system of airspace management is the world’s finest,” said NBAA Chairman Paul Anderson in presenting the Gold Wing award. “At a time when some people in Washington are promoting the notion that the United States should manage its aviation system the way other countries or regions do, it’s important, but rare, to have coverage highlighting how safe, yet flexible and accessible America’s aviation system truly is.”
A freelance journalist with more than 30 years covering the aviation industry, Higdon’s contributions also appear in Avionics News Magazine and World Aircraft Sales Magazine, among other publications. He has worked as an aviation reporter with The Wichita Eagle, and served as aviation editor with Knight-Ridder newspapers. Higdon co-founded the “Uncontrolled Airspace” podcast addressing a wide range of topics of interest to the general aviation (GA) community.
The NBAA Gold Wing Award recognizes journalism’s important role in reporting the significant contributions of business aviation – the use of a GA aircraft for business purposes – to the national economy, as well as the many ways in which the industry supports citizens, companies and communities across the U.S.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.