The annual NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition opens officially on Tuesday morning in Orlando, Florida, but it was already a busy day on Monday, with a full slate of news conferences and plenty of reporters and industry officials on site. The show news even got off to an extra-early start, with the announcement from Cirrus on Sunday night that they now have FAA certification in hand for their single-engine jet. Monday brought another full day, with plenty of big players — Dassault, Bombardier, Airbus, Textron and more — lining up to report on their latest company achievements and product upgrades. Those who could make it out to the static display at Orlando Executive Airport had plenty of airplanes to look at, with more than 100 on display, including the debut of the green Cessna Longitude.
Besides all of the latest airplanes, engines and news updates, the NBAA event offers lots of other activities for those who attend. Speakers include David McCullough, author of The Wright Brothers, and political analysts James Carville and Mary Matalin. On Monday, a safety standdown event targeted single-pilot operations. Thursday is career day, and a young-professional networking reception is planned for Thursday morning. Meanwhile, all of the players in the business-industry world will be showing off their latest products, upgrades and innovations. AVweb editors Russ Niles and Paul Bertorelli are on site all week to bring you the details in news stories, podcasts and video.
