AeroBrief

"We are gathered here because we share a common interest: our activities in various areas of business aviation can become even better. Each of us can share his knowledge and his experience - and each has something to offer. " With this unusual approach Bud Slabbaert opened the industry meeting, the BA Meetup at Northolt airfport in northwest London. For two and a half days business aviation experts gathered from around the world to discuss the situation in the industry and to prepare for the future.

 

 

 

BA Meetup, as described the organizers, is the conference for professionals in business aviation, which is unique for its opportunity for the exchange of experiences and networking. The invitation was followed up this year by many visitors from around the world wanting to meet like-minded colleagues in the field of business air travel. From all sectors of the industry - from pilots to flight planners and FBO operaters - experts met in London. The venue was rather unusual, because it was the Education Centre of the Royal Air Force and not the small business airport with the same name. But the event had nothing to do with the Air Force, yet very much to do with the optimal way to manage flying. Many topics were discussed in plenary sessions, subject-specific topics in working groups that varied from the training of the FBO staff, to the work of dispatchers, to requirements for safety training and special features in the of ordering catering.

A highlight on the first day of the BA-Meetup was the honouring of Graham Stephenson with an award for his lifetime achievements in aviation; he was also one of the most active participants in the meeting. In his tribute, Darren Grover suggested that Graham has worked in aviation for centuries, or more precisely 21 years in commercial and 23 years in business aviation. After the development of the London City Airport Jet Centre, Stephenson took on the FBO Group Management of ExecuJet Aviation, as the last stop in his professional career.

AeroBrief will report on the many topics of the Meeting in its next issue.


http://www.ba-meetup.com/

 

The AeroBrief Side Note:
A promise made true and a great personal success scored

At the opening of this year's BA-Meetup Bud Slabbaert referred to the AeroBrief report of last year's meeting. In the shadow of EBACE, the industry meeting did not receive particularly close attention and the number of participants fell short of expectations. But, Bud did not want to give up and announced that at the next occasion more than a hundred participants would be involved. With a strong personal commitment he has made his promise come true. With London and the RAF Centre at Northolt, he found an interesting location, many speakers were willing to cooperate, and as a stand-alone conference the BA-Meetup has found the right and appropriate attention this year. The full house and the good mood of the participants were also the recognition of Bud Slabbaert's dedication.

Peter Kellner