A week ago today we were walking the very large footprint created by aviation’s largest show. Along with roughly 26,000 other industry enthusiasts.

The guardedly optimistic mood at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention matched our own. We’ve heard the forecasts. Watched the markets. And worked to prove the naysayers wrong.

Slow and Steady

Financial issues at home and abroad continue to depress new biz-jet sales. But, they’re better than they were a couple of years ago. And they promise to get better still. Just not as quickly or by as large a margin as any of us would like.

As we walked the static and convention floor, we spoke to everyone: aircraft manufacturers, suppliers, aftermarket support.

This resilient industry’s moving forward, connecting with new audiences, pushing into new markets. Press conferences and receptions for clients Signature Flight Support, Bombardier Business Aircraft, FlightSafety International and USAIG inspired us by their continued, forward-thinking investment in programs and support worldwide. Wichitan Brian Barents, vice chairman of Aerion Corporation, personifies the ability to create passageways through roadblocks. The economy may not be ready to support an $80 million supersonic aircraft, but the newly formed Aerion Technologies is finding a robust market for its natural laminar flow technology.

Staking Our Claim

Count Wichita in the innovators’ corner. As head of the Wichita Aero Club communication committee Sonia’s championed a grassroots movement to reclaim the name Air Capital of the World. Greteman Group donated our creative services to create a new logo and campaign to spread the word. We attended a rally at the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition’s booth with speakers U.S. Congressman Mike Pompeo and Kansas Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer. Those in attendance included National Institute of Aviation Research Executive Director John Tomblin, who was quick to share that NIAR’s leadership in aeronautical R&D and composite materials continues to put Wichita on the leading edge.

We’re proud to be part of this community and plan to do our part to help it achieve maximum altitude.