Showing their pride
Florida gets aviation license plate
Florida pilots Joseph Hurtuk, Dr. Ian Goldbaum, and Richard Golightly bonded over their interest in aviation and giving back to the industry. They designed a Support General Aviation license plate to reflect the economic impact aviation has on the state, which is ranked third in the United States for the total number of pilots, aircraft, and airports.
Proceeds will help fund aviation education scholarships for Floridians managed through the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland, Florida.
The three pilots worked with AOPA Southern Regional Manager Stacey Heaton to collaborate with elected officials to promote the plate. Integral to legislative efforts were state Rep. Doug Bankson (R-District 39) and his office, and state Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-District 83) and her office. Thanks to ongoing collaboration, the plate has passed through the Florida legislature and was headed to the governor’s desk for signature.
“Thanks go to Representative Bankson and Senator Harrell,” said Heaton. “The representative’s own passion for aviation and the senator’s recognition of our members’ passion for aviation made this effort possible.”
Once signed, coordination with the state to get these plates to the public begins. Pre-sales for the plate are slated to begin October 1, and 3,000 sales are required before a single unit can be produced.
