NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen and NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna have released statements upon word that business aviation veteran Gil Wolin passed away on 5 September following a brief illness.

“Gil's passing comes as a great loss for the business aviation community,” says Bolen. “He set an example as a friend, a mentor and an industry champion. Through his words and actions he made us better.”

"Gil Wolin, through the Business Aviation Advisor, was a catalyst for change within our industry. He continued to serve the association and its members beyond his service as a NATA board member, leveraging his decades of experience and insight to help amplify our collective voice on a number of priority issues including business aviation safety, transaction transparency, infrastructure and innovation," says Castagna. "Gil was a skilled strategist and communicator with a keen career-long focus on aviation business education and advocacy, using his platform to express the essential nature of our industry. He played a pivotal role in safety efforts with early involvement in NATA's ground handling safety training programme. Gil's passion, wisdom and dedication will be remembered for years to come. Time with Gil was always time well spent. He will be greatly missed."

As the product of three generations of aviation professionals, Wolin grew up in and around aircraft. He led sales and marketing at Executive Jet Aviation (today known as NetJets) before joining the nationwide FBO chain Combs Gates/AMR Combs as vice president, marketing.

After a successful term as president of Denver-based charter/management company Mayo Aviation, Wolin served as publisher of McGraw-Hill's Business & Commercial Aviation, A/C Flyer and Show News magazines. He subsequently joined TAG Aviation USA as vice president, corporate communications.

He founded Wolin Aviation Consulting in 2009 to assist business aviation service providers in designing and implementing effective marketing, communications and strategic planning programmes. In 2013 he helped found Business Aviation Advisor, a print and online information resource for consumers utilising aircraft ownership, charter and fractional arrangements.

A frequent speaker at national and regional events, Wolin was a member of NBAA, the Massachusetts Airport Management Association and the Massachusetts Business Aviation Association. He also served on the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University president's advisory board, and served on the board of directors for the National Air Transportation Association and Corporate Angel Network.