NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen welcomed members to NBAA-BACE 2017 in Las Vegas in an emotional and heartfelt opening ceremony that paid tribute to the city following the recent deadly assault it endured. “I think we’ve learned some things about Las Vegas in the wake of last week’s shootings,” said Bolen, joined onstage by Las Vegas civic leaders.
Citing the heroism and compassion its citizens displayed, Bolen noted this marks the first major convention since the assault and stated, “We pledge to do everything this week to make you proud of us, because last week Las Vegas made us very proud of you.”
With FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and former Apollo astronaut Capt. James Lovell among the opening session’s featured speakers, attendees nonetheless sat rapt as city representatives expressed gratitude to the association and its members for their support. “NBAA, we can’t thank you enough,” said Clark County commissioner Laurence Weekly. “I’m speaking from my heart, as a native Nevadan, this means the world to us that you are here with us.”
James "Jim" Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, whose 10 Las Vegas properties include the Mandalay Bay, from where the gunman opened fire, noted the company’s “50,000 employees and their families” depend on visitors for their livelihoods. “I cannot thank you enough, from the bottom of my heart, from 50,000 men and women,” Murren said. “I want you to enjoy Las Vegas like you’ve never enjoyed it before. With your help the lights of Las Vegas will never be dimmed.”
Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nevada)—an “outspoken champion of business and general aviation,” in Bolen’s words—said, “When this happened, you stepped up and doubled down. You contributed to the fund to help the victims. We think of you as part of the family.”
Shifting to aviation matters, Titus, a member of the subcommittee on aviation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said inaction on long-term FAA funding, is “causing us to fall behind, and lose our edge” in aviation. She pledged to continue her opposition to current efforts in the House to "give control of ATC to the airlines, as H.R.2997 would allow."
FAA Administer Michael Huerta, who retires in January, noted this would be his last opportunity to address the group. Citing the progress the agency has made in modernizing both ATC and its approach to regulations, Huerta called the fight over control of the FAA “a conversation we need to have,” saying “disagreement can be a good thing when both sides take the time to listen to each other rather than draw a line in the sand.” He urged “a collaborative approach based on trust, respect and putting safety first” as the key to “a safe and efficient system.”
The honorable Robert Sumwalt, named NTSB chairman in August, recalled his father’s extensive use of business aviation and how his own commitment to safety was forged when his parents perished in a business aircraft accident.
Capt. James Lovell, commander of the famed Apollo 13 mission, also took a highly personal tone in recounting his path to the astronaut corps, a circuitous path that included failures and brushes with disaster along the way. As for his current aviating, 89-year-old Lovell said he’d taken his wife’s advice to sell his airplane in 2012 and “I’ve regretted it ever since.”
The opening session concluded with the screening of the new advocacy video called “Leaders and Legends” that features Lovell, Sully Sullenberger, Sean Tucker and other aviation luminaries urging viewers to oppose ATC privatization.
