Punta Gorda Tower Receives Plaque & Recognition
PUNTA GORDA, FL (November 10, 2021) – Although PGD’s Air Traffic Manager George Harper and his team were honored as Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc.’s Facility of the Year in 2019, their celebration finally came to fruition today. RVA’s top executives gave George the “Outstanding Facility of the Year” plaque and celebrated with a decorative cake.
RVA, celebrating 34 years in the aviation business, operates air traffic control towers at 102 airports across the southeast and southern United States for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Annually the company recognizes one control tower operation as its “facility of the year.” Although PGD won the award for 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented corporate leadership from celebrating in person with them until today.
Seven towers were nominated for this award, and six of them scored the maximum number of points in the weighted point scoring system, which includes no safety events attributable to air traffic control, external audit results, pilot satisfaction scores, controller and airport management survey results. Key to PGD winning this award were the many customer service accolades the facility received – specific positive feedback from airport management, the FAA, the Chairman of the Florida International Air Show, the Florida Wing Group 5 Civil Air Patrol commander, and numerous pilots.
Punta Gorda Tower participates in many flying organizations’ meetings throughout the year, even asked to speak at flight safety meetings at two nearby airports. The team goes out of its way to educate and inform pilots, and are known throughout the area for being professional and courteous. RVA prides itself on providing quality air traffic control services, and the air traffic control team at Punta Gorda has risen to the top.
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L to R: RVA’s Keren Williams McLendon, President/CEO, Jim Slate, Vice President, Air Traffic Services, George Harper, PGD’s Air Traffic Manager and Bruce Bivins, Area Manager, Area II