With AIN Media Group's Aviation International News and its predecessor Aviation Convention News celebrating the company's 50th year of continuous publication this year, AIN’s editorial staff is going back through the archives each month to bring readers some interesting events that were covered over the past half-century.

REWIND: (AIN October, 2004 p.6) Ed Bolen is having little trouble settling in at NBAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. An old hand at carrying general aviation’s banner-beginning with a stint as a Senate aide on Capital Hill and continuing for almost a decade with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, NBAA’s new president is already well versed in representing business aviation to policymakers.

FASTFORWARD: Bolen took over as president and CEO of NBAA on Sept. 7, 2004 succeeding Shelley Longmuir, who held headed the organization for little more than a year after the retirement of Jack Olcott. Bolen who brought a wealth of Washington experience to the position enters his 18th year at the helm of the organization, and is now its longest serving president.

During his tenure, he has proven a steady hand at NBAA’s tiller, steering it and the business aviation community through scorn in the aftermath of the global economic meltdown, and defending it against attacks by commercial aviation advocates and others amid the persistent threats of user fees. Through his superb oratory skills he rallied his constituency with introduction of the “No Plane, No Gain” initiative which linked the utility and benefits of business aviation to the success of companies, and provided critical talking points to justify its use.