Contributors and readers highlight the value of the magazine.
By David Bjellos
ATP/Helo. Gulfstream G650
Senior PP Contributor
It’s been a while since I started my journey as a pilot in business aviation, and most of the time my career has been intertwined with Professional Pilot magazine. I began my life in aviation not in the cockpit, but in the cabin as a flight attendant for an airline. It wasn’t until 1981 that I got my first flying job, at the controls of a Twin Otter. That launched a pretty standard progression through the civilian ranks – commuter airlines, a couple of private operators, a brief stint with the majors, and then corporate aviation. I’m coming up on 50 years in this business now.
It was around the mid-1980s that I first encountered Pro Pilot. In those days, there was no Internet. Our industry knowledge came from magazines we’d find at the pilot lounge in FBOs. They were well-loved – dog-eared, torn, sometimes missing a page – which told you they were being read intently.
As a young pilot, I was narrowly focused on my own next rating or job, but Pro Pilot was a part of my landscape as a professional aviator. My relationship with the magazine changed from reader to contributor in 2004, and it happened because of a conversation about technology that nobody knew about. I had just installed a brand-new Chelton synthetic vision system (SVS) in a Bell 407.
PP Founder & President Murray Smith asked me about it. After I explained this system that could project a terrain image onto a screen, he simply said, “Why don’t you write an article for us?” Other than my master’s thesis, I’d never written anything technical, so I was hesitant.
Murray, in his classic way, just said, “Don’t worry. We’ll edit it. Tell us what it is, how it works, and if it makes flying safer. I need 2000 words by the 10th.” So I did. That moment, that trust from Murray, began a 21-year partnership that continues today.
What made Pro Pilot different then, and what keeps it relevant now, is a fundamental principle – it is written by pilots, for pilots. Other trade publications are excellent, many edited by people Murray himself trained, but they often employ career journalists. Pro Pilot’s authors are active airmen, directors of flight operations – people with grease under their fingernails or flight plans on their laps.
You’re getting a first-hand account from someone who just lived the experience they’re writing about. Our readers are pilots, and they are intensely interested in what other pilots have to say, even if – and especially when – they disagree. As Murray used to joke, if you have 2 pilots in a room, you’ll get 3 opinions.
This format provides immense value to aviators at every stage. For the beginner, these articles are a window into the advanced, real-world techniques and technologies used by seasoned airmen flying globally. For the corporate pilot or flight department manager, like I was for 20 years with Florida Crystals, the magazine serves a dual purpose. Yes, the technical articles are vital, but the integrated advertising model is uniquely practical.
Pro Pilot expertly pairs articles with relevant vendors. If the feature is on a Gulfstream, it naturally involves Honeywell avionics. This is curated information. So many of my decisions on installing or evaluating new equipment for my department were informed by seeing a vendor’s technology explained in depth within the context of a real-world Pro Pilot article.
Looking to the future, I see Pro Pilot’s role as more critical than ever. The cornerstone of any good aviation operation is communication, and the magazine is a vital communications hub for our dispersed community. It draws on a deep bench of specialist writers – experts in meteorology, long-range flight, avionics, helicopters, and ground services – to tackle the issues we face right now.
Murray had this vision from the start. He believed that, if you focused on exceptional content, the advertising would follow. He was right. My recent articles, for instance, have been on space-based navigation and the growing global threat of jamming and spoofing – a pressing operational concern for which the magazine is already facilitating the conversation.
After 21 years of writing for Pro Pilot, I consider myself part of the family. It’s a legacy that connects Murray’s founding vision to contributors like me, and ultimately to every pilot who picks up an issue. It educates the newcomer, equips the veteran, and connects us all through a shared language of experience and expertise.
That’s how it helped me as I came up through the ranks, and that’s how it continues to strengthen the entire business aviation ecosystem. Pro Pilot is more than a magazine – it’s a chronicle of our profession’s evolution, and a tool for its future.
By Tim Tate
Pvt-Multi-Inst. King Air 200
Pres & CEO, Stewart & Tate
My connection to aviation runs deep, beginning as an 11-year-old learning to fly in 1969, and most recently receiving the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award from FAA in 2025. I hold a private pilot certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings, and, while I don’t fly for the business, I remain an active aviator. I also manage the corporate flight department for my business partners, in addition to managing THV (York PA) and operating my own King Air 200.
It’s from this unique vantage point – as a pilot, flight department manager, and business owner – that I’ve valued Professional Pilot magazine for many, many years.
My involvement with Pro Pilot has been primarily as a dedicated reader and occasional contributor to the reader response section – Squawk Ident and annual PP surveys. The magazine has been on my desk for decades.
What I enjoy most are the in-depth flight department profiles. These articles have been a fascinating window into how other businesses operate, introducing me to companies and operational philosophies I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.
They serve as an invaluable benchmark. When I read about a department with a similar fleet, I compare immediately: How many pilots do they employ? Do they have a dedicated maintenance manager? These profiles are a practical tool that helps us evaluate if our own flight department is structured correctly and efficiently.
This insight is directly applicable to my responsibility of overseeing our own operation, which includes a Gulfstream G280, a Cessna Citation M2, and a CJ3 – all flying hundreds of hours each year for business across multiple states.
I also rely heavily on the magazine’s various surveys. Since I travel extensively, I find the PRASE Survey useful personally. And I also make a point of contributing to the Avionics, Powerplant, and Corporate Aircraft Manufacturers Product Support surveys.
These feedback loops benefit all of us. For instance, all 3 of our jets are equipped with Collins avionics, and seeing how other operators rate their support and pricing reinforces our own experiences – and occasionally alerts us to issues we haven’t faced yet.
This peer-based feedback is far more credible than any marketing material. It creates an honest dialogue between operators and manufacturers, raising standards across the board. Furthermore, the annual Salary Study is an exceptionally helpful tool for understanding industry compensation trends, which is crucial for anyone managing aviation personnel.
On a personal note, my interest in the technical and safety aspects of flying is always piqued by Pro Pilot’s content. As a single-pilot operator of a King Air equipped with a Garmin G1000 NXi and emergency autoland, I follow news of advances and incidents with great interest. The magazine’s accident investigation recaps are particularly valuable.
They provide authoritative, final-word analyses that focus on the lessons to be learned, without sensationalism. This aligns perfectly with my own mindset. I recently had the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report on the FedEx MD-11 accident on my desk. As an engineer by education and a perpetual student of aviation safety, I find this deep, factual analysis to be some of the most important reading a pilot can do.
I know Pro Pilot will continue its balanced approach. The Weather Brief is a personal favorite of mine, so much so that I’ve thought about pursuing a master’s in meteorology. And while the International Ops series may not apply directly to our domestic-focused flights, I recognize its importance for the broader readership.
My one sentimental request is to preserve the printed copy as long as possible. As someone with gray hair, I appreciate the tangible nature of a magazine, the ability to hold it, tear out an article, and share it. It’s how I’ve always engaged with the content. Professional Pilot has been a consistent companion throughout my aviation life, serving as a benchmark for my management duties, a source of critical safety knowledge, and a trusted forum for our community. It has helped bridge my roles from the cockpit to the boardroom, and, as such, it remains an indispensable resource.
By Greg Woods
ATP. Gulfstream G800
Senior Dir of Aviation, Qualcomm
I was first introduced to Professional Pilot magazine in the mid-1990s during my second civilian role after completing my service as a US Navy pilot. A colleague had a copy on his desk, and once I picked it up, I was drawn in immediately. I subscribed shortly thereafter, and it has remained a constant presence on my desk ever since. At that point in my career, I was transitioning from military aviation into the corporate flight department environment.
Pro Pilot became my window into the operational realities, expectations, and performance standards of civilian business aviation. It was the one publication I consistently made time for, reading it cover to cover – even if I fell behind – because the content reflected the professionalism and discipline I aspired to bring to my own operation.
What distinguished Pro Pilot from the beginning, and continues to do so today, is its interactive nature. Founder Murray Smith’s vision of a publication that engaged pilots actively was both forward-thinking and enduring. To this day, the first section I turn to when a new issue arrives is Squawk Ident.
I scan for familiar names or cities where I’ve lived. It’s more than reading opinions – it’s a way to stay connected to the community, to meet new colleagues indirectly, and to take the pulse of the pilot population. That section creates a sense of dialogue and peer connection you normally find only at industry gatherings.
As I advanced through the profession, eventually leading flight departments at organizations such as Peabody Energy and now Qualcomm, the value of Pro Pilot evolved from being a learning tool to being a professional benchmark. The flight department profiles illustrate consistently how high-performing operations function in practice.
Central to that credibility, in my view, is the PRASE Survey. Its importance cannot be overstated. It delivers objective, peer-driven feedback that the industry trusts and operates within. For leaders, PRASE provides a critical connection between operational realities on the ramp and the performance of manufacturers and service providers.
Recognition earned through Pro Pilot‘s PRASE Survey carries real weight precisely because it is grounded in feedback from experienced operators – not marketing narratives. When OEMs review that data, they understand it represents unfiltered input from professionals who rely on their products every day. This process contributes directly to elevating standards across business aviation by reinforcing professionalism, safety, and accountability.
My involvement deepened further when I was invited to participate in a PRASE Survey roundtable at Pro Pilot headquarters in Alexandria VA. That experience proved transformative. The relationships formed there became lasting friendships and invaluable professional connections.
It created a trusted network – one where advice could be exchanged freely and expertise shared. In many ways, that roundtable became a foundational element of my professional life. Now, at a more mature stage of my career, I see those connections branching outward, supporting and mentoring the next generation. That is the true strength of the community that Pro Pilot has cultivated over decades.
As a long-time reader, there is little I would change. The pilot-centric focus remains the magazine’s greatest strength. Thoughtful guest perspectives from respected industry leaders – perhaps even the occasional OEM executive discussing future developments – could add value, provided the core voice remains that of the practicing aviator.
The primary challenge ahead is generational. Business aviation is facing significant turnover, and the next generation of pilots engages with professional content differently. Capturing their attention will require thoughtful adaptation. Highlighting the often-unsung contributors within flight departments, such as schedulers and maintenance technicians, could help broaden engagement, reinforce team culture, and make the publication feel inclusive of the entire operation.
The focus on people that Pro Pilot has always taken, as well as the products and services that make an operation excel is the right approach. It tells the story of business aviation’s value without crossing privacy lines.
Business aviation remains an essential business tool. With modern connectivity, the aircraft has truly become an office in the sky, and executive time is the most valuable commodity of all. That reality defines modern business aviation, and Pro Pilot continues to tell that story effectively, highlighting people, products, and services without compromising privacy.
Because of what Professional Pilot represents and promotes, I remain a committed ambassador. I read it, my pilots read it, and our maintenance team reads it. I will continue to support the magazine – whether by encouraging vendor participation or offering my perspective – because it has been a partner in my professional growth for 3 decades. The community it fosters and the standards it upholds are simply too important to the future of our profession.
By Alex Panchana
ATP/CFII. Gulfstream IV/V
My journey in aviation began from a unique vantage point. I was an air traffic controller in my home country of Ecuador. But the sky was calling me in a different way. I won a scholarship to pilot school with Lufthansa, but fate brought me back to Quito, where I got my first real flying job as a first officer on a Twin Commander, flying charter for the major oil companies in the demanding and breathtaking terrain of the Andes.
My career progressed from the Twin Commander to a King Air, then to a Beechcraft 1900D. But I’ll never forget the day I saw a Gulfstream IV. To me, coming from turboprops, it was like winning the lottery.
A stroke of luck, or perhaps charm, came when a Gulfstream check captain who was impressed that I spoke German, English, and Spanish, invited me to fly as a flight attendant on the very jet I dreamed of. From there, my path took me across the world to the US, Europe, India, and Africa, flying in different and complex operational environments.
I first came across Professional Pilot magazine in 1992. A friend of mine had a copy, and I was astonished when he told me it was free. I didn’t believe him, so I wrote in and started receiving it. The moment it truly hit home was when I was representing Canadian Helicopters in South America and saw them featured on the front page.
For someone in our part of the world, seeing a familiar name in a premier international magazine was powerful. It made the global aviation community feel accessible. This wasn’t just a magazine – it was a real tool. I learned about new products, weather, and techniques, and it became a part of my professional tool kit. When I was a chief pilot in Austria hiring new first officers, I used questions straight from the magazine’s pages. Squawk Ident and Terminal Checklist helped me gauge candidates’ knowledge and understanding.
My relationship with Pro Pilot deepened from reader to ambassador. I began introducing the magazine to flight departments and CEOs across Europe who weren’t familiar with it. One Dassault Falcon operator in Switzerland told me he had “grown up with the magazine.” To me, being able to offer a friend’s new company to be featured in Pro Pilot was a privilege. In our small, interconnected aviation world, helping each other is currency.
What goes around, comes around. This belief was never clearer than at the 2025 Dubai Airshow, where I had the chance to hand a Pro Pilot pin to the new CEO of a major international airport in Riyadh. That small gesture, that connection, meant he now knows the magazine exists. It’s about planting seeds everywhere, from the deserts of the Middle East to the boardrooms of Switzerland.
Having flown on 4 continents, I see a vibrant future for Pro Pilot. The world of business aviation is global, and the magazine’s presence reflects that. Pro Pilot President Eleni Smith took the helm after Murray’s passing, and has transformed the magazine.
She is a woman in a man’s world, and, while that is a challenge on its own, she leads with a different type of energy. She fights for every client and for every opportunity, taking the pain of loss and turning it into a motor of excellence. She pushes beyond he comfort zone so the magazine has a stronger presence worldwide. Pro Pilot is chasing new markets with confidence.
To me, as a young pilot in the Andes, Pro Pilot was a window to the world. As a chief pilot in Europe, it was a hiring tool. For a consultant like me, it is the connective tissue of a global industry. It has helped me at every stage, and today I am proud to help it grow, to introduce it, and to defend it. That is the cycle that keeps our world turning, and I am grateful to be a part of it.
By Lynn Krogh
CEO, International Jet Aviation Services
I’ve been in aviation for more than 50 years now, with 20,000-plus hours in my logbook, spanning everything from flight instructing and airline flying to corporate and charter operations. I co-founded International Jet Aviation Services back in 1979, and it has always been, at its heart, a pilot-centric company because the owners – myself included – have always been pilots at the controls. This lifelong perspective, from the cockpit to the corner office, is how I’ve experienced the value of Professional Pilot magazine.
I first came into contact with Pro Pilot in the mid-1970s, just as I was working hard to establish myself in the corporate and charter world after college. I started attending NBAA conventions and naturally gravitated toward the publications that spoke directly to operators. I knew of Murray Smith and respected the work of people like Clay Lacy, who contributed to the magazine with regular aircraft reviews.
From the beginning, Pro Pilot distinguished itself as the pilot’s choice. While I have always read several aviation magazines, many were written from a business or manager’s perspective. Pro Pilot was different back then. It was, and has remained, authentically pilot-centric and pilot-oriented, staying true to the values Murray instilled at its founding.
For a young pilot like me, it was an indispensable source for staying up to date on current affairs, the latest technology, and the newest airplanes. It was our monthly briefing on the state of our profession.
The benefits of this magazine have been multifaceted throughout my career. As a pilot climbing the ranks, it provided a crucial window into the operational standards and technologies shaping the industry. But its value extended as I moved into management and leadership. The Pro Pilot Salary Study, for instance, has been an incredibly beneficial benchmarking tool for decades.
Sure, everyone will argue about the numbers, but that’s not the point. Its true power is in establishing a consistent annual standard from the same source data. It allows us to see trends, to understand how compensation for certain aircraft types is moving, and to gauge where we stand. That kind of reliable, industry-wide data is priceless for making informed decisions.
Beyond the data, the magazine’s editorial content, like the flight department profiles, has always been enlightening. Reading about how other companies operate provides either a welcome surprise or a reassuring affirmation of our own practices. This aspect of connection and comparison is vital. In an industry where we often operate in isolated bubbles, Pro Pilot serves as a communal bulletin board, fostering a shared sense of standards and innovation.
I believe this function is critically important for every pilot, especially those in their formative stages. I encourage them to be active in professional organizations. Engaging with quality trade publications is part of that professional duty. For a new pilot, becoming versed in industry technology, understanding what different companies are doing, and connecting with the broader narrative of business aviation are essential for a well-rounded career.
While social media offers more noise today, for decades, publications like Pro Pilot have been the primary, authoritative way to stay really informed on a monthly basis. Information, whether on a page or a screen, remains vital. I’ve recommended the magazine to countless pilots over the years because I know it makes them better professionals.
While I’ve mentioned this to the editorial staff as a joke, I’m serious when I say that my personal hope is that the print version of Pro Pilot continues as long as I’m able to flip through its pages. I am admittedly old-fashioned, so I still appreciate holding the magazine in my hands, especially when traveling. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when things went digital, I missed the physical copy. I still have a few treasured issues from way back, saved for a particular article I found impactful.
Even today, if I want to share an article, my method is telling: I tear it from the magazine, scan it, and send it. For nearly 50 years, Professional Pilot has been a constant in my aviation life – a tool for education, a source for benchmarking, and a connector to the wider pilot community. It has helped me grow from a young pilot seeking knowledge into a manager who relies on its data and perspectives. That legacy of serving pilots, first and foremost, is what makes it a lasting institution in our field.