Bob Showalter, the retired chairman of Showalter Flying Service, is being honored this year as the recipient of the Doswell Award, recognizing his lifelong achievement on behalf of and in support of business aviation. The award is named for Jack Doswell, a renowned World War II combat veteran, business aircraft pilot and flight operations director who was actively involved in NBAA on numerous levels.
Showalter Flying Service began as a venture with family and friends, brothers Howard and J. Sandy Showalter and Ford “Buck” Rogers on 100 acres of land in Winter Park, Fla., and it was meant to be a country-club like airpark. World War II had just ended, and aviation was predicted to be “the next big thing.” At one point Showalter Flying Service could still be found at the airpark, as well as Orlando-Sanford and Orlando Executive airports. The FBO consolidated at Orlando Executive airport in the early 1950s, because the opportunities for growth were strongest there.
Showalter grew up in Winter Park and went to school at Rollins College, located there, eventually earning a master’s in business administration degree. He gathered experience in aviation management as vice president of operations, in charge of 26 FBO locations for Butler Aviation–at the time the largest FBO chain in the country–before returning to Orlando and Showalter Flying Service. The FBO was sold to Atlantic Aviation in early 2015. Showalter is now chief pilot for a new family endeavor, Showalter Aviation and Marine, a sales and flight services business.
Beyond his FBO Showalter has been a dedicated advocate for business aviation. Under Showalter and his family’s leadership, Showalter Flying Service hosted the static display for NBAA’s convention in Orlando nine times. “Bob Showalter is one of the reasons NBAA’s convention always felt at home in Orlando,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.
“Throughout his career, he’s demonstrated a passionate dedication to the industry,” Bolen continued. Showalter was the youngest chairman of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), and twice served as president of the Florida Aviation Business Association. At NBAA he was a member of the Security Council. He has also served 18 years on the Board of Visitors for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation. Showalter has more than 20,000 flight hours and has flown relief missions in his 1974 Piper Aztec, receiving NBAA’s American Spirit Award in 1996, among many other awards.
