Vietnam veteran and business aviation advocate Paul Smith passed away on May 10, NBAA said today. He served more than 27 years in both the U.S. Air Force and Army, receiving the Bronze Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and the Army Commendation Medal, among others.
After his military service, Smith joined AOPA in 1985 and then Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University—his alma mater—the following year. He then joined NBAA in 1987 as the director of airspace, air traffic, and infrastructure.
“Paul was our original advocate with Air Traffic Services,” said NBAA senior v-p of education, training, and workforce development Jo Damato, CAM. “His legacy is, in part, the successful effort to win a policy decision from FAA leaders to involve NBAA in the agency’s daily collaborative decision-making process for coordinating all stakeholders in the aviation system.”
Before retiring from NBAA in 2006, Smith became one of the association’s first regional representatives. He was honored with the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2016, and he represented the Texas Aviation Association for the Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Advisory Committee.
“Paul’s lifelong mission was one of service, first and foremost to his country and then to the aviation industry that he loved,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.