Florida GA license plate success

Dreams for a GA license plate in Florida started more than a year ago after local pilots Joseph Hurtuk and Dr. Ian Goldbaum connected over their shared interest in aviation. Knowing how significantly the GA industry contributes to the Florida economy, the two wanted to find a way to recognize the impact of this industry and give back to continue to grow the pilot population in the state.

They landed on a Support General Aviation specialty license plate and brought in pilot Richard Golightly to design it. “It tells a story of supporting not just aviation, but general aviation,” said Hurtuk of the design by Golightly that depicts a scene of airplanes taking off and landing around a control tower with a blue-sky backdrop.

The specialty plate will help fund aviation education scholarships for Floridians managed through the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland.

Integral to legislative efforts to pass the plate through the House and Senate were AOPA Southern Regional Manager Stacey Heaton, state Rep. Doug Bankson (R-District 39) and his office, and state Sen. Gayle Harrell (R-District 83) and her office. Thanks to their collaboration with Hurtuk, Goldbaum, and Golightly, the plate has passed through the Florida legislature and is headed to the governor’s desk for signature—which is eagerly anticipated by the end of the month.

“Special 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.