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.
It is a standing joke that business aviation recycles its own, referring to the frequent movement of executives, sales people and managers from one company to another, but always within the community. This, I submit, is a result of the demanding nature of the segment's high-octane users and the infinite flexibility of its missions. Not many individuals thrive in that kind of environment, so there's a steady demand for those who do. All that came to mind when I learned of Jim Christiansen's new position.
Central Florida's Lake County is well named since it comprises 1,400 lakes and countless ponds, pools and puddles. This water wealth, combined with the region's abundance of sunshine and warm air year-round, make the place a magnet for fisherfolk, boaters, kayakers and other wet-setters. And that very much includes floatplane fliers.
