Business Aviation Celebrated At Oshkosh

“Business Aviation Day” at AirVenture took place on AeroShell Square with about eight business aircraft parked around the Airbus A380. This opportunity to highlighted several business aircraft operators and the important impact business aviation has on the economies of their communities and how they use these business tools to create jobs. The day culminated at on the square with a press conference.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt set the tone for the speakers who followed him to the podium. "I can't understate the value of General Aviation," he said. "The manufacturing is critical to the economy. So many high-tech jobs are associated with aviation."
Neal Verfuerth, President and CEO of Orion Energy Systems in Manitowoc, WI, said his Pilatus PC-12 is his "secret weapon", which has allowed him to grow his business from $4 million to $80 million since it's founding in 1996.

Companies operating other business jets and turboprops echoed similar themes. Many of the executives spoke of their business airplanes as "Time Machines", which allow them to travel to remote operations and installations and back in the same day, while allowing the travel time to be productive, and not just as a perk of being a top executive.

The news conference, and Business Aviation Day, served to remind many that business aviation is not well understood by the public, nor many in public office. You can expect to hear a lot more from this segment of the industry, as they stress the importance of business aviation to the overall health of the economy.