AircraftOwner Online

For the last several years, I have been attending the National Business Aircraft Aviation Association (NBAA) convention.  To be honest, before I started getting involved in the business of assisting people with the purchase, leasing, sale and structuring of business jet transactions, all I knew about NBAA was that it was the organization for the “heavy iron” folks.  I never even knew that they had an annual convention in the US and others around the world.

Beginning last year, however, NBAA made a conscious effort to recognize that the term “business aircraft” does not simply apply to business jets.  Rather, as NBAA and AOPA have pointed out, most business aviation is actually performed with piston and turbo-prop aircraft, many of which are owner flown by single pilots.  Accordingly, both NBAA and AOPA have dedicated a portion of their programs to what they are now calling “light business aircraft”. There are many, valuable workshops and seminars that are held concurrently with the exhibits that are extremely relevant and interesting even for pilots of light aircraft.   That is only one reason why those of us who don’t utilize business jets to do business should consider attending the NBAA conventions.

Even before the conventions specifically incorporated “light aircraft”, it still had much to offer owners, pilots, mechanics, flight schools, FBO’s and others who did not operate turbine aircraft. 

The NBAA convention is decidedly “high class.”  The exhibit hall must contain at least one million square feet of show space, and must be near an airport that can be essentially shut down and taken over for a week when the show is in town.  Thousands of hotel rooms must be available close to the convention center where the exhibit hall is located.  This is the fourth largest trade show in the world, and only a few cities can meet its needs.  For the past several years, the show has been in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, with the static display at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL).  This year (from October 19 – 21) the conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Convention Center, with the static display at Fulton County “Charlie Brown” Airport (KFTY).  Next year, the conference is scheduled to go to Las Vegas, Nevada.

When I say “high class”, I mean it.  All of the major manufacturers display their latest wares, and multiple announcements are made at the show.  Although the recession has toned down some of the over-the-top excesses of prior years, you will still find phenomenal displays from all of the major manufacturers of piston aircraft, standing right in the same booths as their heavy-iron brethren.  Cessna, Piper, Hawker/Beechcraft, Diamond, Mooney, Pilatus, Aerospatiele, Robinson Helicopter, Lycoming, Continental, and all of the other big names are there, along with all of the major avionics manufacturers, FBOs, MRO facilities, interior shops, paint shops, and everything a piston pilot could ever need or want.  But, instead of being arrayed in a steaming hot hangar, or out on the dirt somewhere as in Oshkosh or Sun N Fun, at NBAA, you walk on plush carpet, in air-conditioned comfort, in business attire.  Even the static display has air-conditioned, carpeted tents erected right on the ramp.  Some of them serve a gourmet lunch to those in attendance at tables with linen tablecloths and full silver service.  The major manufacturers know that they can never tell who their next customer will be.  Some guy who has been using a Mooney in his business for the last decade may now decide that the time and economic circumstances are right for him to move into a brand new jet.  So it is worth it to them to feed a few of us, too, in order to make sure that everybody that comes to their display feels that they were treated like royalty.  Here we are talking primarily about Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault Falcon, Airbus, Boeing, Embrear, and, depending on the year, Cessna, Piper and Hawker/Beechcraft.

But, even if you don’t get to eat in the big, fancy tents, you are greeted by attractive men and ladies who want to give you an ice-cold bottle of water for free.  You are taken from the convention center to the static display on luxury coaches with comfortable seats and air-conditioning.  Other luxury coaches also run in a constant loop between the convention center and numerous hotels in the area.

If you do business with some of the firms who exhibit at NBAA, you will probably be invited to one or more private parties, where fun, food and drink is the order of the evening.

Don’t get me wrong.  I dearly love Oshkosh and Sun N Fun.  They each have their own charm and magic.  But for a look at how the other half (ok, 2%) lives, there is simply no place like NBAA.

I hope to see many of you in Atlanta.  If you can’t make it this year, please try to book for next year in Vegas!