ABA Banking Journal
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
SUBSCRIBE
ABA Banking Journal
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home ABA Banking Journal Podcast

Podcast: Taking Flight with Pilot Bank

April 19, 2018
Reading Time: 2 mins read

Pilot Bank in Tampa, Fla., is a full-service $305 million community bank with a unique wing: private aircraft finance. Through its affiliate NAFCO, the bank makes loans for owner-flown aircraft throughout the country, providing credit opportunities for the hundreds of thousands of individuals in this middle-market segment.

This isn’t the world of private jets for business titans, notes Rita Lowman, Pilot Bank’s president, on the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast (sponsored by Windstream Enterprise). Instead, it’s a diverse market of piston-driven planes, turboprops, small jets, experimental aircraft and vintage planes — all owned by their pilots. These pilots love their planes, Lowman notes, which makes this a high-performing business for the bank. “It’s the best ratio of all our lending,” she says. “Our default ratio is a minimum.”

Pilot Bank also developed an online account feature that allows aircraft customers outside the Tampa Bay area to bring the rest of their banking business to the bank. It’s proven to be a strong niche for a community lender. “You have to know how to insure it, you have to know the underwriting capabilities,” Lowman notes. “You have to make sure that plane’s being maintained.”

On the podcast, Lowman also discusses her experience as a bank turnaround executive, working on acquisitions of troubled lenders for a major southeastern bank and her views on the de novo environment in Florida. And, as the current chairman of the Florida Bankers Association, she talks about her efforts to develop the banking leadership pipeline in the Sunshine State.

This episode is sponsored by Windstream Enterprise:

If you can’t see the audio player above, click here to listen to this week’s episode.

In this episode:

Rita Lowman
President
Pilot Bank
Evan Sparks
Editor-in-Chief
ABA Banking Journal
Shaun Kern
Senior Counsel
ABA

 

ADVERTISEMENT
Tags: ABA Banking Journal PodcastConsumer lendingDe novo banksLeadershipWomen in banking
ShareTweetPin

Related Posts

BAFT releases report on best practices, guidance for ISO 20022 migration

ABA offers fixes for small-business lending data collection rule

Commercial Lending
July 18, 2025

In a letter, ABA said it is pleased with the CFPB's proposal to revise its small-business lending data rule and offered several recommendations to reduce the compliance burden for banks.

Retail sales decreased 0.8% in January

ABA DataBank: Retail sales rebounded in June

Economy
July 18, 2025

Despite recent softening and apprehension over price increases, consumer spending was robust over the month.

CFPB claims ‘complex’ pricing drives up cost of financial products

CFPB to keep notification procedures for state enforcement of consumer law

Compliance and Risk
July 18, 2025

The CFPB is reversing course on its earlier decision to eliminate the procedures under which state officials must notify the bureau if those officials plan to enforce the Consumer Financial Protection Act.

Consumer Sentiment declined in April

Consumer sentiment rises in July

Economy
July 18, 2025

The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index increased 1.8% in July compared to the month prior, landing at 61.8, according to preliminary results for the month.

ABA points to role of regulators in discouraging bank engagement in digital assets

ABA, associations urge OCC to postpone crypto firm applications for bank charters

Newsbytes
July 18, 2025

ABA joined four banking and credit union associations in raising concerns about a push by digital asset firms to establish national trust banks, saying there are significant policy and legal questions as to whether the applicants' proposed business...

Housing starts rise in June

Housing starts edge up in June

Economy
July 18, 2025

Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.397 million, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

NEWSBYTES

ABA offers fixes for small-business lending data collection rule

July 18, 2025

ABA DataBank: Retail sales rebounded in June

July 18, 2025

CFPB to keep notification procedures for state enforcement of consumer law

July 18, 2025

SPONSORED CONTENT

Navigating Disruption in Ag Lending – Why Tariffs Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Navigating Disruption in Ag Lending – Why Tariffs Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

July 1, 2025
AI Compliance and Regulation: What Financial Institutions Need to Know

Unlocking Deposit Growth: How Financial Institutions Can Activate Data for Precision Cross-Sell

June 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

April 25, 2025
Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

April 5, 2025

PODCASTS

The future of careers in risk and compliance

July 17, 2025

Breaking down the bank-related provisions in the big budget bill

July 10, 2025

Podcast: Inside ABA’s new Treasury Check Verification System API

June 25, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT

American Bankers Association
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
1-800-BANKERS (800-226-5377)
www.aba.com
About ABA
Privacy Policy
Contact ABA

ABA Banking Journal
About ABA Banking Journal
Media Kit
Advertising
Subscribe

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.