SDC2026: Building the Next Generation of Business Aviation Leaders

March 23, 2026

The pipeline feeding business aviation’s next generation won’t fill itself – and the professionals already in the field are its best recruiters.

At the 2026 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2026), the March 24 session “Clearance Delivery: Inspiring the Next Generation of Business Aviation Professionals,” will provide attendees the tools needed to inspire middle school, high school and college students to become future professionals and leaders in business aviation.

Brian Walker, a teacher at Burke High School Air & Space Academy in Omaha, NE, and manager of training for Planet 9 Private Air in Van Nuys, CA, will lead the discussion, along with fellow panelists Mike Killian, founder and operations director for Corsair Aviation; Chloe Le Lievre, who works in Part 135 operations, government contracting and the Part 141 flight school with Corsair Aviation, and Mark King is a professional pilot and instructor.

Walker’s career journey makes him well-equipped to guide the session. During high school in rural Kentucky, no one in the industry visited his school to talk about aviation careers. While in college, a friend suggested he work for an airline at Blue Grass Airport (LEX). It was a revelatory moment for him and the beginning of his aviation career.

Some 30-plus years later, Walker decided to focus on training newly hired dispatchers. He joined Planet 9 and later attended several presentations at the Burke Academy which sparked his interest in teaching aviation to younger students. Many of the students he met had a strong interest in aviation but lacked the knowledge and tools to successfully pursue a career in the industry – something he will address during the SDC2026 session.

Walker hopes his session will empower attendees to start making the critical connections. For example, simply getting on the phone and asking schools about aviation programs or career days can open doors for individuals to make presentations. Pathway programs are excellent tools businesses can use to expose young people to aviation and inspire them to pursue careers in the industry.

“Our mission is to give people real tools they can use to reach out to schools, or how to become a mentor, to be able to inspire the next generation,” Walker said. “I strongly feel that if you’ve been in the industry for more than five years and you’re making a living at it, you owe a debt to try and bring along the next generation.”

View the full program schedule and don’t miss this session at 11:15 a.m. March 24.