The NBAA opening general session is more than a kickoff to three days of heavy immersion in all things bizav. It’s an opportunity to hear from the association leadership on important economic, operational and, yes, political issues that affect all NBAA members, to varying degrees.
NBAA traditionally invites a distinguished lineup of speakers to impart their wisdom at the opening of the show. This year is no exception, and the following aviation leaders and luminaries will grace the exhibit floor Tuesday morning at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
NBAA attendees will hear from NASA’s legendary astronaut and Apollo 13 mission commander Capt. James Lovell; newly confirmed NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt; FAA Administrator Michael Huerta; and Rep. Dina Titus (D-1-NV). “We’ll have an opportunity to hear from speakers with longstanding service to the country, and from all corners of the aviation and aerospace industries, “said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, who will also address the membership during the opening general session. “We are very excited to welcome this group, and we look forward to hearing their insights about the policies and issues shaping business aviation today,” he continued.
As a U.S. Naval aviator, James Lovell fulfilled numerous assignments, including a four-year stint with the Naval Air Test Center where he was program manager for the F4H Phantom fighter test program. In 1962, he was selected for the astronaut program, where he served as backup pilot for the Gemini 4 flight and backup commander for the Gemini 9 mission. He subsequently served as spacecraft commander on the Apollo 13 mission and became the first man to fly to the moon twice, logging a total of 715 hours in space.
Robert Sumwalt is well acquainted with business aviation and the airlines. As manager for a utility company’s flight department in South Carolina, he served on the NBAA’s Safety Committee before being appointed to the NTSB in 2006. He also served more than 20 years with the airlines, including Piedmont and US Airways where he was a member of the flight operations quality assurance monitoring team. As a member of the NTSB, Sumwalt has frequently been a presenter and facilitator at NBAA events. He has promoted safety programs and safety management at the National Safety Forum and at NBAA Safety Committee risk-assessment meetings.
Michael Huerta was confirmed as the FAA Administrator in 2013 after serving as deputy administrator. His career has stretched from coast to coast, covering both the public and private sectors, including stints with the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City; as executive director of the Port of San Francisco; and as commissioner of New York City’s Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce. As head of the FAA, Huerta is responsible for the largest aviation system on the globe, with 47,000 employees under his purview.
Rep. Dina Titus is in her fourth term in congress, and has a strong record of supporting aviation. She is a member of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and also a member of the House General Aviation Caucus. Representing Nevada’s 1st congressional district, which includes McCarran International Airport, Titus is making a return visit to the NBAA show, having delivered the official welcome in Las Vegas at the 2015 event.
