The NBAA’s convention isn’t just for industry people

The National Business Aviation Association’s annual conclave—scheduled this year for October 21–23 in Orlando, Florida—typically attracts about 25,000 attendees from the world over. Many of them are pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, flight-department managers or vendors—folks who make their living in the rarified strata of bizav. But what if you’re not part of the industry, just an aircraft owner or passenger? Does attending this convention make sense for you? Well, if you like the idea of immersion learning and don’t mind lots of walking, there’s probably no better way to get a quick education. 

I attended my first NBAA show in 1999 and was blown away by the cavernous exhibit halls, the cocktail parties, the over-the-top product unveilings and the information overload via booths, seminars, workshops and speeches. I shook as many hands as a politician on the stump and stuffed my pockets with business cards. I was awash in the daily perfume of kerosene and money and it was intoxicating. I also learned more about business aviation in those three days than I could have in a year or two anywhere else. 

The show floor on opening day was a stampede and overall the first two days were just a blur. Day three was less attended and more relaxed, though. The lines to get into the new aircraft and aircraft mock-ups were largely gone and people on the floor had more time to talk. So I checked out every airplane on the show floor, admired new interior fabrics and veneers, visited vendors selling everything from fuel to catering to maintenance and refurbishments and played around with flight simulators. (“How well does your plane fly inverted?” I asked a manufacturer’s rep as I rolled it around and big red Xs appeared on the display screens. The guy was not amused.). I talked to used aircraft brokers, aviation insurance brokers, avionics companies, engine makers, charter outfits, fractional-ownership firms, management companies, completion shops, tax and legal experts, security firms and commercial flight schools; I found out what was hot and what was not. In about five hours I felt as if I had acquired the equivalent of a graduate degree. 

So come to the NBAA’s Annual Convention & Exhibition. Take in a few seminars and walk the floor. In two or three days, you can check out lots of aircraft and get all your questions about private aviation answered. By the end of the show, your feet will hurt and you’ll understand why massage-chair makers do good business at these events. But you’ll be glad you made the trip.