With a love of aviation passed on from his father, Bill Gehman received his solo license on his 16th birthday, followed by his private pilot's license on his 17th birthday, and has been flying ever since. Gehman joined the Michigan Department of Transportation in 1974 as assistant chief of airport project programming. During his career, he was director of the Bureau of Aeronautics, director of the Michigan Aeronautics Commission, and chairman of the board of the National Association of State Aviation Officials. He developed a nationally recognized Air Service program and implemented one of the most aggressive general airport preservation programs in the country. He also established an All-Weather Access program for general aviation airports and created a mobile aircraft firefighter training unit. Receiving numerous awards at the state and federal levels, he was appointed by three Michigan governors to statewide aviation task forces. Retired from state service in 2002, Gehman was enshrined in the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004.
Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor, 2014
