Nicholas Sabatini, 88, of Alexandria, Virginia, and West Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, surrounded by his family.

Nick’s life was defined by his unwavering service to his country, his family, and the field of aviation safety.

Born in Vasto, Italy, in 1936, Nick emigrated with his family to the Bronx, New York, in 1938 at the age of two. He was the son of Grazia and Gaetano Sabatini and the youngest of four siblings: Angela (née Sabatini) Gioia, Lucy Sabatini, and Olga (née Sabatini) Perillo.

Nick was predeceased by his parents, his siblings, and his beloved wife of 40 years, Virginia Sabatini, who passed in 2003.

Nick’s remarkable career of service began with the U.S. Army, where he served at Fort Knox, Kentucky, from 1956 to 1958. After fulfilling his military duties, he joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) as a patrol officer in August 1958. He transitioned to the Mounted Division in 1960 and later to the prestigious Aviation Unit in 1966, where he served until his retirement from the NYPD in 1976.

Flying was Nick’s lifelong passion and defined much of his career. After retiring from the NYPD, he joined the U.S. Customs Drug Interdiction Air Unit in Brooklyn before beginning a distinguished tenure with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1978 as an Operations Inspector in Charleston, West Virginia.

During his 30-year career with the FAA, Nick rose through the ranks, earning prestigious titles in aviation safety. He served as Flight Standards Division Manager for the Eastern Region in New York before being promoted in March 2001 to Director of Flight Standards in Washington, DC. Later that year, in October, he was appointed Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety. In this role, he oversaw 7,000 FAA employees and regulated more than 7,300 U.S. commercial airlines and operators, serving with distinction until his retirement in January 2009.  He was always proud of the team he said he was privileged to lead.

Nick’s contributions to aviation safety earned him numerous accolades, including Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine’s Laurels Award.  He served as an Aviation Safety Advisor to the Board of Directors for JetBlue Airways Corporation.  He was also previously a member of the Auburn University Aviation Management Board and served on the Board of Directors for Advanced Navigation and Positioning Corporation, Wyvern Consulting, Ltd., and was elected as a member to the Flight Safety Foundation’s Board of Governors.

He earned Type Ratings in the Cessna Citation CE-500. Douglas DC-9, Embraer EMB-110 and Bell Helicopter BH-206 and logged more than 7000 flight hours during his aviation career and was a certified flight instructor in both fixed wing and rotorcraft.

One of the many fond memories that Nick enjoyed came in December 2006, when he was invited to France to fly the Airbus A380, MSN 0004, the largest commercial aircraft in existence.  He became one of only 135 pilots worldwide to have done this at the time.

In 2018, Nick was honored at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with the Wright Brothers “Master Pilot” Award, recognizing more than 50 years as a pilot. The award celebrated his technical expertise, professionalism, and many outstanding contributions to aviation safety. 

Nick is survived by his wife, Bonnie; his son, Stephen Sabatini, and his wife, Tammy of West Palm Beach, Florida; and his son, Christopher Sabatini, and his wife, Teresa of Warwick, His grandsons, Jake and Chase Sabatini of Warwick: and Bonnie’s daughter, Alexandra Gavelek.

Nick’s legacy of dedication, service, and excellence will be cherished by his family, friends, and the aviation community he so profoundly impacted.