Said one executive of a new club member, “Why in the world would you go to Wichita and take on all that trouble? You'd be nuts.” As he spoke, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers were striking Bombardier Learjet's hard-pressed facility in Wichita, demanding higher wages and better health benefits.

William Garvey Melbourne, Fla.

Embraer's Global Customer Center is a state-of-the-art facility in Melbourne, Fla. To see a video of it under construction, check out the digital edition of AW&ST on leading tablets and smartphones or go to AviationWeek.com/embraermelbourne