Pilot's Post - NBAA-BACE Exhibition 2018

Ranked as the third largest trade show in the United States the 2018 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) was held from 16 to 18 October in Orlando, Florida, bringing together current and prospective aircraft owners, manufacturers and customers into one meeting place to get critical work accomplished. More than 25,000 industry professionals attended the convention for the most important three days of business aviation.

Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The association represents more than 11,000 member companies of all sizes located across the country. NBAA provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, the world's largest civil aviation trade show.

Nextant 400XTi

Piagggio Avanti Evo…….Dornier 328

Dassault Falcon

During the Convention NBAA in association with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released the findings of the latest survey conducted by Harris Poll demonstrating the value of business aviation in providing safe, efficient transportation to companies of all sizes, particularly those located in smaller communities with little to no commercial airline service.

The survey found, amongst others, that most users of business aviation are small companies employing 500 or fewer workers. Sixty-two percent of pilots and flight department leaders (identified as "pilots" for survey purposes) stated their companies utilize a single, turbine-powered aircraft.

Blackhawk H-60….. Sikorsky AW 109

Many business aircraft are largely flown to towns with little or no airline service, with pilots reporting that, on average, 31.5 percent of their flights over the past year were to destinations lacking any scheduled airline service.

Aviat Husky

Daher TBM 700………….Mooney Ovation

Denali Scout

"Once again, we see that business aviation is a vital tool for companies of all sizes, enabling passengers to use their travel time more effectively and efficiently than alternatives, while also providing critical lift to smaller communities and areas in need of emergency relief," NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said.

NBAA Safety Committee member Dan Ramirez told about 120 attendees at the NBAA Single-Pilot Safety Standdown held at on the eve of the association's annual convention that single-pilot operations comprise the largest number of accidents in the business aviation industry. A new study by the NBAA Safety Committee's single operators subcommittee found that approximately 2,013 of the 7,457 accidents reviewed were attributable to aircraft with a flight crew of one.

Single-pilot accidents and incidents fall into three main categories: runway excursions, undershoot/overshoot landings, and loss of control in flight. Single-pilot business aviators generally have a responsibility for the overall enterprise supported by that aircraft, which can often create distractions before, during, and after their flights. Single-pilot operations are more susceptible to task saturation, and when task saturation increases, so too does the number of errors and risk.

Nearly one third of business aviation accidents are runway excursions, making this the most common type of accident. While often survivable, runway excursions remain a towering safety concern, creating an annual injury and damage toll estimated at $900 million industry-wide. Worse still, most excursions are preventable when crews identify well-known risk factors, adhere to stabilized approach and landing criteria, and use accurate and timely runway condition data. The cultural change necessary to increase the adoption of best practices during approach and landing represents the most difficult challenge still ahead.

"NBAA-BACE exceeded even the highest expectations," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "Exhibitors told us their booths were packed, and attendees continually remarked on the latest technologies and services displayed on the show floor, the quality of our sessions and the networking opportunities available." The event drew about 1,000 exhibitors from the U.S. and around the world. Attendees at the show represented all 50 U.S. states and about 90 countries. More than 100 exhibitors were new to the show.

Events 2018
Aviation Economy