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54th Annual Meeting Opens: A Gathering of Our
Community
Stressing the themes of community and security, Jack Olcott presided
over the opening of the NBAA's 54th Annual Meeting and Convention
yesterday morning to a near-capacity audience in the Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center.
Most of Olcott's remarks and those of the invited speakers focused
on the challenges NBAA members face in the aftermath of 9/11 and
a reiteration of the value of business aviation in times of crisis.
With the notable exception of Reagan National Airport in Washington,
Olcott observed that most operations have returned to pre-9/11 levels.
"Terrorists meant to change the way Americans live," Olcott
said, adding "the terrorists were wrong."
Discussing the unprecedented national ground stop, Olcott told
members NBAA and other trade groups have opened up communications
with national security and law enforcement organizations such as
the departments of Justice, Defense, FBI and Secret Service to help
them understand the importance and security aspects of business
aviation. In the event of future threats to national security, he
vowed "we will never allow that (national ground stop) to happen
again."
Keynote speakers at the session included Steve Brown, FAA associate
administrator for air traffic services, and Anheuser-Busch chairman
and president August A. Busch III. Olcott acknowledged Brown, a
former AOPA staffer, for his tireless efforts to restore GA access
to the air traffic system. Saying that it had returned to 93 percent
of its pre-September 11th levels, Brown expressed hope that the
system would be fully restored shortly and allow the aviation community
to focus, again , on growth. Busch, a long-time pilot and business
aviation user spoke of the importance of business aviation to his
company, noting that he commutes to work via helicopter and travels
regularly on one of the Anheuser-Busch Falcon jets.
Olcott paid tribute to Moya Lear, who died last week at the age
of 86, Dow Chemical for contributions to the Corporate Angel Network
as well as the entire NBAA staff for their service to NBAA members
after the terror attacks.
At the annual press breakfastsponsored by NBAA and GAMA-prior
to the opening session, Aviation Week Group's Kenneth Gazzola announced
a new educational initiative with NBAA to interest students in aviation
careers. Also, Business & Commercial Aviation magazine
editor-in-chief William Garvey and publisher Gil Wolin presented
one of the magazine's annual Vision Awards to the NBAA for its response
to the 9/11 attacks.
NBAA also presented the following awards at the breakfast:
- Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievements in aviation journalism
to Robert Parrish, whose work included stints at both B/CA
and B/CA's Show News;
- Gold Wing Award for non-trade aviation journalism to Cynthia
Wilson of the St. Louis Post Dispatch;
- Gold Wing Award for trade journalism to Chad Trautvetter of
Aviation International News;
- NBAA proclamation to AirLifeLine, a group of aircraft owners
who fly some 12,000 patients annually in need of medical treatment.
After the meetings, the NBAA board and August Busch gathered for
the ceremonial ribbon-cutting signifying the official opening
of the convention.
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