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.
I came in not expecting it, but the issue of aviationâs environmental impact and carbon footprint was something everybody was talking about. All the major bizjet makers were giving props to sustainable alternative fuels, and the winner of the NBAA Gold Wing Award for journalism was James Wynbrandt for his reporting on sustainable fuels. At the NBAAâs annual press breakfast on Tuesday morning, both Ed Bolen, president and CEO of NBAA, and Pete Bunce, head of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, discussed the issue, essentially saying that SAF is an undertaking thatâs safeâitâs not like Jet-A, they said; it is Jet-Aâenvironmentally more friendly because of its sustainability, and good for the image of business aviation. I think Bolen and Bunce arenât the power of the environmental movement thatâs up and coming in the world and that aviation is facing. It will dwarf the negative opinion of bizav we survived after the public pillorying of Detroit auto execs for their bizjet use. Time to get proactive. Make that, âmore proactive.â A lot more.
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