Bill Lyon, Deputy Director of Operations has retired from the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics (NDA) after serving the state as a pilot and administrator for more than 40 years.

With an Airline Transport Pilot rating, Bill retires with over 16,000 hours in a wide variety of aircraft. I count it an honor and a privilege to have shared the flight deck with him for a very small percentage of those hours.

Whether in the cockpit of a Cessna 182 or the Department’s Piper Navajo or Cheyenne, I spent many hours flying above the expansive Nebraska landscape, talking about aviation, talking about life and soaking up bits of wisdom from this skilled aviator.

As the Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics between the years of 1992 and 1998 I had the opportunity to work with Bill not only in the air but on the ground, in good times and the challenging times as well. It is through the day to day grind that you truly get to know a person.

A definition of venerable is, “commanding respect by virtue of age, dignity, character, or position” – all fine characteristics and each can be attributed to Bill. But, the one that stands out to me above all the others, is character.

Bill not only invested time in developing and honing his piloting and administration skills, made evident by a successful and safe career in the industry, but he made a great investment in people and relationships as well. It is that investment that has created a legacy that will serve both the NDA and the State of Nebraska well, for years to come.