William Cope

Generous. Loyal. Adventurous. Humorous. Driven. Simple words chosen to describe a lifetime of a man who was loved deeply and whose presence will be immensely missed by his family, friends, and the Arkansas aviation community. William (Bill) Tracy Cope was born to Huey and Geneva Cope, September 14, 1961, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. On Sunday, January 21, 2024, Bill's faith became sight when he met Jesus face-to-face.

Bill was blessed with a passion for flying which started at age 16 when he took his first solo flight. He joined the Navy at the age of 18 and his intense love of aviation increased while working on the flight deck of the U.S. Ranger. Leaving the military, he entered the aviation program at Henderson State University where he met his wife of 34 years, Tina. Bill's first aviation job, flying for the Arkansas Forestry Service, moved him and Tina to the Conway area. Together, they built Favoring Tailwinds, a company specializing in corporate aviation. Bill used his skills, talents, and wisdom to invest in young pilots who had chosen aviation as their profession. It is rare that people can make a living doing what they love, but Bill did just that. He often told Tina, "Don't tell anyone, but I would fly for free. I love it that much." Bill felt closest to God up in the air, looking over God's majestic creation. They had many talks together at 20,000 feet in the air.

Bill's legacy will live on in his children, Jordan, Brooklyn, Lauren and Emily, his granddaughter, Harley, and his soon to be son-in-law, Peter Cook. He loved being a Dad and a Poppa. Bill was an only child, and Tina's family became his family. He adored his in-laws, Harrison and Heidi Draper, who were like parents to him. Family members include Penny and Samantha Draper, Michael, Mary, Cody, Aileen, Harrison, and Elle Draper and Jaden and Brennon Sedoff. Extended family included his Uncle Mike, and Aunt Marion Burris and cousins, Amy, Erin, and Erica. Rounding out his family are his chosen brothers, Daniel Whiddon, Steele Kennedy, and Brad McDaniel.

Preceding him in death were his parents and his beloved father-in-law, H. Harrison Draper.

Honorary pallbearers include Bob Fehlman, Rush Harding, Andy Holbert, Ryan Knauer, Joey Lister, George Makris, Jr., Todd Owens, Myron Putnam, and Dhu Thompson. Bill's celebration of life service will be held Sunday, January 28th, at 2:00p.m. at Conway Regional Airport at Cantrell Field located at 3250 JW and Pat Brown Boulevard in Conway.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Bill Cope Aviation Scholarship Fund. Donations may be made at any Simmons Bank location or mailed to Simmons Bank, 600 Salem Road, Conway, AR 72034. The family wants Bill's legacy of investing in young aviators to continue for many years to come.