Florida GA license plate moves forward

Described by the creators as “telling the story of general aviation,” the approved license plate features a colorful collection of GA airplanes flying in clear blue skies. Local pilots Joseph Hurtuk; Richard Golightly; and Dr. Ian Goldbaum, a podiatric physician and surgeon, came up with the idea and designed the plate, and Nicola Zordan joined the team to help promote it. They want to assist Floridians who are seeking careers in aviation and provide recognition for the robust aviation community in the state—as Florida ranks in the top three states for GA activity and the industry contributes significantly to the economy.

Getting the plate passed through the Florida legislative process took a whole team. AOPA Southern Regional Manager Stacey Heaton helped coordinate and communicate with elected officials including state Rep. Doug Bankson (R-District 39) and his office, and state Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-District 83) and her office, all of whom were integral to the swift success of this initiative.

From the start, the mission for this license plate has been focused on giving back to the aviation community. Working with the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland, Florida—a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the education and engagement of the aviation industry—proceeds from the sales of the plate will go toward aviation scholarships.

“The Aerospace Center for Excellence is thrilled to partner on this effort because it will simultaneously increase awareness about the awesomeness of general aviation and directly benefit our Florida youth at the same time,” said Eric Crump, vice president and COO at the Aerospace Center for Excellence. “Proceeds from the sale of the license plate will directly support a statewide scholarship opportunity empowering young people in Florida to pursue flight training, aircraft maintenance certification, and degree-seeking programs in engineering and other aviation fields.”

For Hurtuk, the opportunity to use this plate to give back to the aviation community fit well within a philosophy he tries to live by. “There’s two things in life you want to do to be successful: help people and make a difference,” he said.

The bill will be effective on October 1, at which point the aviators will have a two-year window to sell 3,000 presale vouchers for the license plates before production of the plate can begin. To maximize the presale opportunity and make the license plate easy for pilots to acquire, the team has created a website with all pertinent information for interested buyers. Presale voucher information will be available on the website on October 1.

Local pilots who support the license plate project will also be traveling to fly-ins and airshows around Florida, including the Aerospace Center for Excellence’s Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo, to promote presale voucher sales.