NATA Honors Industry Standouts
NATA presented its Industry Excellence Awards during its annual Aviation Business Conference last week in Miami.
(left to right) NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna; John Black, executive director of the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority; Bill Bohlke, president emeritus, Bohlke International Aviation; Craig Sincock, Avfuel's owner, president, and CEO; Carla Keeney, customer service manager, Jet Access Indianapolis; Jeffrey Wolf, chief flight instructor with Paragon Flight Training; and Shae Helling, Bismarck Jet Center’s director of FBO operations and marketing. (Photo: Curt Epstein/AIN)

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) presented its annual Industry Excellence Awards during a luncheon at the recent Aviation Business Conference in Miami. 


Craig Sincock, owner, president, and CEO of Avfuel was presented with the association’s highest honor, the William A. “Bill” Ong Memorial Award for his contributions to the aviation industry. â€śThe passion that led Sincock, an aviator himself, to purchase Avfuel is evident through his continued devotion to the company’s success, as well as through his advocacy efforts serving on several key stakeholder boards in the industry,” said NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna.


The NATA Distinguished Service Award was presented to Bill Bohlke, the long-time head of St. Croix-based multi-generational FBO, maintenance, and charter provider Bohlke International Aviation.


Other recipients included John Black, executive director of the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority who was presented with the Airport Executive Partnership Award; Jeffrey Wolf, chief flight instructor with Paragon Flight Training, who accepted the Excellence in Pilot Training Award; and Carla Keeney, Jet Access Indianapolis customer service manager, who was given the NATA FBO Customer Service Representative Award. In addition, Shae Helling, Bismarck Jet Center’s director of FBO operations and marketing, received the NATA Future Leader Award, while David Hernandez, the line service manager at Mayo Aviation, was honored with the Safety 1st Certified Line Service Professional Award.