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 was a straight-in nighttime approach to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's Runway 9R. The Learjet was at 2,400 ft., 6 mi. out. That put the pilots below the glideslope, but with ceiling and visibility unrestricted, winds calm and all instruments in the green. Piece of cake. Unless, that is, you had never before been in a cockpit nor at the controls of any airplane. And the whole world was watching. Oh, and a million bucks were on the line.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood reportedly plans to resign his post at the expiration of President Barack Obama's first term in office. The business aviation community will view such an exit with decided ambivalence.
