Tampa businessmen win top aviation honors

TAMPA — Two aviation professionals — Vic Slater of Bloomin' Brands and Daniel Slapo of ExecuJet Charter Service — were given the Silk Scarf Award for their contributions to the local aviation community.

The businessmen were honored for starting the Tampa Bay area's first aviation group for professionals several years ago, says a press release from the National Business Aviation Association.

Slater, director of flight operations at Bloomin' Brands, and Slapo, a flight coordinator at ExecuJet, along with friends, formed the Tampa Bay Aviation Association, part of the National Business Aviation Association. Slater is president and and Slapo is treasurer/secretary of the group.