The National Business Aviation Association and Convention (NBAA) got underway officially on Tuesday morning, but by then Plane & Pilot had been on the ground for a few days, already attending briefings, interviewing major players and occasionally just sitting back and taking in the spectacle, as was the case for Gulfsteam’s spectacular unveiling of its G700 ultra-long range gem on Monday night.
There have been product announcements, program delays, star sightings, and big numbers. Here are eight of my biggest observations from the ground, so to speak, at NBAA.
For years Iâve been saying that what Pratt & Whitney needed to do was make a full-authority digital engine control for its market-dominant PT-6. I sometimes wondered if the reason they werenât doing that was because it was too technically difficult (though itâs essentially in every economy car on the planet, right?). The other possibility was that Pratt just didnât have to do it because nobody else was. Well, with the introduction by GE of the Catalyst engine (then called the Advanced Turboprop) for the Cessna Denali, FADEC was on the horizon. So suddenly Pratt launches FADEC. Remarkable coincidence? Nah. Itâs natural consequence market forces at work for the good.
Subscribe today to Plane & Pilot magazine for industry news, reviews and much more delivered straight to you!