First-Ever NBAA-BACE Maintenance Competition Allows Students to Test Skills, Gain Experience

Sept. 14, 2023

Aircraft maintenance workers are in high demand in business aviation, so to highlight the excitement and opportunities the industry offers, for the first time the 2023 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) will feature a Maintenance Competition.

The competition, which debuted earlier this year at the NBAA Miami-Opa locka Regional Forum and the NBAA Maintenance Conference, will take place Wednesday, Oct. 18 and feature five teams of five students competing in a variety of events to test their skills.

Competitions include safety wiring, cable rigging, electrical troubleshooting, virtual aircraft towing/ground handling and general visual inspection. Each task lasts 15 minutes.

Students from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Chicago and Las Vegas will be participating in the event, which will take place in Central Hall, Booth C6725. The competition will last from 1-4 p.m. and NBAA-BACE attendees are invited to stop by and watch. Winners will be recognized, and prizes awarded, during a ceremony on the show floor at 4:30 p.m.

“There’s no better way to get students enthusiastic about careers in business aviation maintenance than by allowing them to experience firsthand the wide range of tasks these professionals do on a daily basis,” said NBAA Director, Environmental and Technical Operations Stewart D’Leon, CAM. “Thank you to Sean Gallagan of Aviation Workforce Solutions, who is helping organize and run the competition. We know it’s going to be a fun and enlivening addition to the exhibit hall.”

In addition to the competition on Wednesday, students will take part in a mini Bombardier general familiarization course on Tuesday, Oct. 17, which includes classroom instruction and time out at the outdoor aircraft display at Henderson Executive Airport (HND), where they will have the opportunity to complete a walk around inspection on a Bombardier aircraft.

Sponsors for the NBAA-BACE Maintenance Competition include Bombardier, Flying Classroom, Honeywell, Snap-on, Xennial Digital and Aviation Workforce Solutions

Taking place Oct. 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Henderson Executive Airport, NBAA-BACE will explore future-forward technologies and innovative perspectives, while also showcasing the very latest business aviation aircraft, products and services.

Learn more about NBAA-BACE.