Pro Pilot Founder Murray Smith Dies

Murray Smith, the founder and publisher of Professional Pilot Magazine, died Christmas Day at the age of 89. Smith launched the magazine in 1966 and focused on issues that mattered to pilots, managers and dispatchers. It regularly surveyed its readership on issues affecting the broad range of commercial aviation. Smith had stepped back from day-to-day activities at the magazine in recent years but frequently visited the office. The market his magazine served respected and paid attention to its coverage, said NBAA President Ed Bolen.

"For decades, Murray Smith and his team have brought well-deserved attention to the people and companies that represent the best of our industry,” said Bolen. “He didn’t just cover business aviation—he was business aviation. His boundless energy and insight will be missed, along with his magazine's well-informed journalism, which raised the bar on safety and professionalism for pilots everywhere.”