NBAA-BACE 2018 is shaping up to become one of the more upbeat conventions, with a strong economy, strengthening industry, new aircraft coming to market, and rapidly evolving technologies, said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.
“Every convention has a kind of a vibe to it—a feel to it—and we expect that this year will be enormously positive,” Bolen said. “We’re going to shine a light on the past, the present, and the future in ways that we think reflect how special this industry is, how far we’ve come, how far we can go, and how much we can shape our destiny.”
Bolen pointed to numerous factors playing into a positive mode of the business aviation community, from flight hours on the upswing and preowned inventory shrinking; to an economy that is performing well. “I think there is a lot of excitement, a sense of opportunity that is going to be very palpable in Orlando,” he added.
NBAA typically draws around 25,000 attendees, nearly 100 aircraft on static display, and close to 1,000 exhibitors, in addition to numerous educational and networking sessions. This year's event includes “one of the most exciting lineups of events we’ve ever had,” Bolen continued, saying the convention will serve as a platform to increase awareness of opportunities, rapidly shaping technology, and even the political environment. This will be coupled with new products and service announcements, which typically generate “a lot of buzz and enthusiasm.”
The “bright lights” begin with safety, Bolen said, noting that events focusing on safety are bookending the convention. “Safety is the pillar of our foundation, and we’re going to underscore that.”
On the eve of the convention, NBAA's scheduled single-pilot safety standdown included key industry leaders who have flown as single pilots and also bring a strong business acumen: Crutchfield Corp. founder and CEO William Crutchfield, along with Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president Mark Baker, and Experimental Aircraft Association president Jack Pelton.
Then, on Thursday, the final day of the convention, NBAA will host its National Safety Forum, which will look at the basics of maintaining skills and understanding automation. That event will further look at physiology and psychology that affects human performance, along with leadership and professionalism. “We will have a lot of safety experts from the industry and government talking about how we can use data to prevent accidents, [such as] the corporate FOQA programs where we tried to identify dangerous situation before they become accidents,” he said.
Looking back, Bolen said, “We always try to use our conventions to express our reverence for the past.” This year will be through the association’s Meritorious Service Award, which will be given to Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The award will recognize the role the WASP played in developing the aviation industry and serving the country.
What's Ahead for the Industry
In addition, NBAA will provide a forum for the National Aviation Hall of Fame to recognize the past with its annual presentation of the Combs Gates Award, which honors individuals or organizations that have been “exemplary in the promotion and preservation of America’s air and space heritage. “
NBAA further will celebrate the present, he said, including a recognition of famed airshow performer Sean Tucker with the Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership for his work with at-risk youth through his Bob Hoover Academy. Along with recognitions, Bolen added, “We’ll talk about the leadership we are seeing today.” This includes keynotes from Enterprise Holdings CEO Pamela Nicholson and COO Christine Taylor during the opening general session. “We’ll have an opportunity to talk to two key people about how they view leadership at the time when technologies are changing and evolving and adapting quickly. “
The opening session will have a further focus on current affairs in Washington with CNN commentator Paul Begala and political consultant Matt Schlapp participating to provide contrasting insights into the upcoming elections. Bolen called this “an opportunity to showcase to our community what the stakes are in the upcoming elections this year,” adding that the midterms have the potential to be very consequential.
As for the future, Bolen pointed to panel discussions planned for the NBAA Innovation Zone, including a focus on electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. The convention will host Bertrand Piccard, who will discuss his Solar Impulse flight around the world, in addition to displaying technologies such as flying cars. “We’re trying to capture the excitement about the future,” he said, noting these topics are particularly pressing right now.
“We're right on the precipice of a lot of things… in terms of UAVs, urban mobility vehicles, electric aircraft, solar aircraft, supersonic aircraft, and commercial space launch,” Bolen said. “There's just so much going on in our industry and new players, including companies like Uber, Google, and Amazon, and all of this is going on right now.”
Also looking to the future are workforce issues. BACE will highlight that with activities such as the recognition of 40 under 40. “Recognizing that there's a new generation of leadership out there, we want to foster that.”
“There will be a lot going on this year because there's a lot going on in our industry,” Bolen concluded. “Looking back, looking forward, changing technologies, new players. It's a very exciting time. There's just so much to do. We've got something special. We want to adapt and change it in ways that are good for our industry.”
