A Message from the FABA President

I would like to thank Chris Rosensteel for the tremendous leadership she has shown as the President of FABA over the last year.  It is my great pleasure to take over the reins as the next President.   

I am encouraged by what is transpiring in the aviation industry throughout Florida in spite of the ongoing pandemic.  Florida truly is the leader in aviation within the United States. 

As the President of FABA, I look forward to working with other aviation associations in Florida, as well as national associations to influence positive changes in aviation.  FABA is working to create new ways for our current members to engage with each other while attracting new members to all of the benefits of FABA.    

Brad Nojaim
FABA President

Remembering Bump Holman: President and CEO of Sun Aviation and 2006 FATA Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame Recipient

February 2021

FABA would like to remember the life of H.R. "Bump" Holman, past recipient of the Florida Aviation Trade Association (now FABA) Entrepreneurial Excellence Hall of Fame award, who passed away January 17, 2021 at VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach, Florida.  

At the time of his death, Holman was the President and CEO of Sun Aviation, and a well-respected member of both the aviation and Vero Beach communities. His aviation career spanned crop dusting to piloting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he was a member of the local Aero Club as well as the Quiet Birdmen. An avid outdoorsman, he and his wife enjoyed many adventures in the air, sea and mountains.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Edward's School and VNA Hospice.

To read his obituary please visit: https://www.strunkfuneralhome.com/obituary/harry-bump-holman

To read about the impact the Holman family left on Vero Beach, please visit:

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/verobeachcentennial/2018/05/11/holma-family-instrumental-bringing-dodgers-vero-beach/602022002/

While the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on aviation as a whole, Florida aviation has experienced steady business. Business Airport International interviewed FABA president Brad Nojaim to discuss the reasons behind the exceptional state of Florida Aviation. "Real estate is what is driving the growth or at least continued business during this time," states Nojaim.

He continues, "I think it's driven by real estate in the sense that people who have the means to fly privately, are still doing that. We've seen people that typically go on vacation during the winter months from New York, Connecticut and the northern states coming earlier because they still have second and third homes here in Florida. Activity at Palm Beach, for example, is actually up versus last year. At Reliance Aviation we initially saw a big drop off in flight activity, but it has picked back up faster than we anticipated it would. Once through the uncertainty in March, April and May, we started to see a little bit of business in June, even though it was hot down here and not a typical time for Northerners to come to Florida. A reason for that is that we are seeing people just wanting to get out of their houses."

To continue reading, we encourage you to visit Business Airport International and find the article in the January 2021 Issue. 

Embry-Riddle Mentorship Program Aimed at Next Generation of Women in Aviation and Technology

Embry-Riddle | November 19, 2020

SMART@ER (Space, Manufacturing, Aviation, Robotics, and Technology at Embry-Riddle) is looking for female mentors within these industries to help guide young women's next generation as they transition from high school to their undergraduate studies to the workforce. We believe SMART@ER Girls can change the world and want to ensure they think so too. The program hopes to empower young women to achieve positive social changes by developing relationships with female mentors and creating new venues to explore careers in space, manufacturing, aviation, robotics, and technology.

Research suggests that a lack of confidence and limited enrichment opportunities negatively affect girls' perceptions of career choice. However, role models and mentors have demonstrated great success in counteracting these factors. Role models help combat stereotyped images and communicate information about the work and steps needed to prepare for a science career.

We have one of the most expansive concurrent/dual enrollment programs in the nation. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of female leaders in science and connect our high school and university girls with enthusiastic role models who can provide crucial mentoring during the 20-21 academic year. We invite you to be a "Big Sister" to our "Little Sisters" and engage in a virtual mentoring opportunity.

The time commitment to be a mentor is approximately 1 hour a month per mentee to meet virtually.

We will be reaching out to all "Big Sisters" to attend a virtual "meet up" on December 16th to discuss the process for connecting to our "Little Sisters," a timeline for participation and expectations. We hope you will join us in positively impacting the next generation of aviation/aerospace leaders. 

Those interested should complete the online survey:           Survey   

An FBO "Making a Difference, One Mask at a Time"

Reliance Aviation | September 22, 2020

Reliance Aviation, an independent Fixed-Base Operator located at Miami Executive Airport (KTMB) for over 20 years has gained attention on social media for its latest fundraising effort that is quite literally “making a difference, one mask at a time.” Miami-Dade County has been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic, and along with other businesses within the aviation industry, this FBO knows firsthand the challenges faced through times of uncertainty. Despite these obstacles, Reliance Aviation is continuing to make meaningful contributions to their South Florida Community through their latest fundraising event “Masks for Meals Miami.” The purchase of each mask, combined with the effort to keep its community safe, will also help Reliance Aviation with its overall contribution to one of South Florida’s leading hunger relief organizations. Due to the popularity of the fundraiser, the FBO had to place an additional order within just days of starting the event to keep up with the outpour of generosity and support. Brad Nojaim, the General Manager of Reliance Aviation expressed “Having been at Reliance Aviation for almost 12 years now and as a Miami native, I feel truly grateful to see the positive impact our event is going have on our community. I would like to sincerely thank each and every person who has helped and continue to make this event possible and look forward to helping provide as many meals as we can to those in need.”

If you would like to support Reliance Aviation in this fundraising effort they have created a tab on their website (www.reliance-aviation.com) to accept online orders. Each mask is just $6.00 with tax and shipping included. Design options for these black and white masks include the Reliance Aviation logo, as well as a popular design called “Airplane Mode” depicting an aircraft wearing a mask. 

Towards the end of their fundraising event, the FBO will be posting a video on LinkedIn and Facebook through the hashtag #MasksForMealsMiami to share their overall contribution and a special announcement to conclude the event. If you would like to find more information on Reliance Aviation you can also follow them on social media to stay in touch with announcements for future events.

In late November, Reliance Aviation also begins its annual toy drive to help provide donations for the EIG-Watson School of Aviation’s “Holiday Flight to Remember” a fundraising event which also takes place at Miami Executive Airport. A toy drive donation box can be found in their main lobby and the event welcomes unwrapped gifts for children ranging in ages 4-14. More information on this event can also be found on their website. This FBO knows the importance of taking care of its local community, as they say at Reliance Aviation, they are truly “going for greatness, by giving back.”