Ian Hofmann, Pilot of Bombardier Jet I-75 Naples

UPDATE: the funeral will be held 11am on Saturday Feb. 24th First Baptist Church of SW Broward

2700 N Palm Ave

Cooper City, FL 33026

Reception / Celebration of life to follow immediately afterwards at 12pm at the church reception hall with refreshments.

This page is to help support the family, and to remember my father, Ian Hofmann. It is also to serve as a point of contact with the family for friends, people affected in the community, and media requests. Media may quote from this page for any articles.

Ian was one of the pilots of the Bombardier Challenger Jet that crashed in Naples. He did not survive. His last moments, calmly speaking with ATC as he tried to save the passengers and crew in the face of a desperate emergency of losing both engines at low altitude, is how we will always remember him. The ultimate professional pilot with over 40 years and 25,000 hours of experience at Piedmont, USAirways, Virgin America, and Hopajet.

A loving father and family man who was charismatic and beloved. Survived by his wife Cristina, former wife Joan Mathis, and children Grant, Chris, Reed, and Grace

We ask you keep us in your prayers as well as the family of pilot Edward Murphy, the 3 survivors, and those injured on the ground.

Ian graduated from Stranahan High School in Ft. Lauderdale, attended Florida State University before later graduating from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He had a deep, passionate love of aviation. It was all he wanted to do. He began his career as a teenager in the mid 1970s fueling planes at the Ft Lauderdale airport to pay for flight lessons. One of his first jobs was with hop a jet charters (and where he would return over 40 years later). He told me stories about the times he flew Englebert Humperdinck to concerts, and bumped into Elvis Presley on the tarmac. As he progressed to major airlines his skill and dedication was unmatched. He was obsessive about safety and spent hours studying NTSB accident reports. In his career he flew the Lear jet, DC9, Boeing 727, 737, 747, 767, as well as Captain on the Airbus 320 and 330.

Thank you so much for the comments you are leaving here and sending to me privately. It means the world to hear both from strangers, and his extended work family at the airlines he flew with as far back as the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. It is special you remembered Ian. Many of your names are familiar to me even if i have not heard them mentioned in many years. He was so outgoing and had so many great stories to tell when he would return from his trips. Of course he would also bring us back little gifts and candies sometimes. Some of his favorite years were at USAirways in the late 90s when he used to fly the European routes. One time he brought back a koo koo clock from Germany for Christmas. I still don’t know how he fit it in his small suitcase.

Outside of aviation Ian was a devout Christian. He loved dogs and had 2 cats at home which had been rescued. He was a fan of Florida State football. He drove his 1993 Dodge Dakota for nearly 30 years because it reminded him of when his children were young. He enjoyed cooking at home and country music. Two of his favorite songs were Garth Brooks “the Dance” and George Strait’s “Carrying Your Love With Me.” I would like to share some of those lyrics as they are reflective of his life.

“And now I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end

The way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance

I could have missed the pain

But I'd have had to miss the dance”

and

‘I’m carryin' your love with me

It's my strength for holdin' on

Every minute that I have to be gone

I'll have everything I'll ever need

I'm carryin' your love with me“

Now we are carrying his love with us.