Northwest Is Busy With Business Aviation Group Activity

April 10, 2014

Fueled in part by the recent resurgence of some business aviation groups in the Northwest, a number of high-profile and well-attended industry events have recently been held in the region. From sold-out safety days, to events focusing on airport and air traffic control concerns, the business aviation community in the Northwest is buzzing with activity.

“It’s great to see so much focus and interest on business aviation advocacy and educational opportunities,” said Kristi Ivey, NBAA’s Northwest regional representative, who has represented NBAA in attending the recent events and providing support to the sponsoring organizations. “NBAA has been pleased to be involved with all these terrific events and to work closely with the many active and effective business aviation groups in the Northwest.”

In the past month alone, Ivey has attended the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association (PNBAA) Annual Safety Day, the Pacific Rim Schedulers and Dispatchers Association (PRSDA) Career Development Meeting, the South Dakota Airports Conference and an Idaho Business Aviation Association meeting on airspace/air traffic control.

“It was standing-room only at the PNBAA Safety Day this year, with more than 150 attendees,” said Ivey. The event was held on April 4 at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, WA, and featured a wide range of topics and speakers, including Mark Larsen, NBAA senior manager, safety and flight operations, astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave and Chris Lutat of Convergent Performance.

“Several Aviation High School and other students also participated in the Safety Day,” said Ivey.

Also in Seattle, the packed PRSDA meeting on April 3 focused on career development opportunities available to schedulers and dispatchers. NBAA’s Jo Damato, director of educational development and strategy, and Kellie Rittenhouse, former chair of NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee and currently an NBAA Certified Aviation Manager Governing Board member, spoke about ways to expand one’s knowledge base with educational opportunities, as well as how to seek out the next step in career development.

In late March, Ivey and Bob Lamond, NBAA director of air traffic services and infrastructure, attended the South Dakota Airports Conference, and some NBAA Members were also in attendance. Concern about the proposed Powder River military operations areas (MOA) expansion was expressed, and Lamond, who has been involved in the discussions from the beginning, encouraged operators in attendance to provide specific and detailed cost, flight delay and other anticipated impacts that burden their operation should the proposed MOA be implemented. Read more about the Powder River MOA expansion issue.

Ivey and Lamond also participated in the first Idaho Business Aviation Association event in more than a year. More than 70 attendees met with air traffic control officials at Western Aircraft’s FBO at Boise Airport (BOI) in mid-March to discuss airspace and air traffic issues affecting operations both at BOI and around the country.

NBAA encourages Members to get involved at the local level by seeking out and joining their regional business aviation groups. The Association offers a useful Regional Business Aviation Groups Directory online to help connect business aviation professionals with the groups closest to them. Regional groups across the country offer events year-round, from regular membership meetings to safety days and advocacy days. Review the full list of upcoming regional events.