Contact: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
Washington, DC, September 19, 2011 – An all-star lineup of distinguished pilots representing the highest levels of professional achievement will be featured speakers at the second-day Opening Session of the 64th Annual Meeting & Convention of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA2011), when NBAA bestows its highest honor on aviation legend Clay Lacy.
A “pilots roundtable” will follow the presentation of NBAA’s highest award, the Meritorious Service to Aviation Award, to Lacy for his extraordinary contributions to aviation, which include experience as an Air Force pilot and airline pilot, notoriety as a national air racer, and international success as a director and videographer specializing in air-to-air sequences for Hollywood blockbuster movies and television commercials.
The roundtable, which will be moderated by famed air show performer Sean D. Tucker, will include the following panelists, all of whom will provide their perspectives on the remarkable breadth of Lacy’s career:
“We look forward to welcoming this extraordinary group of aviators to NBAA2011, as every one of them represents the highest level of achievement in his chosen field,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
The Meritorious Service Award presentation and the pilots roundtable discussion to follow will cap the Opening Session on Day 2 of NBAA2011. Preceding the roundtable will be a general aviation (GA) association presidents panel focusing on the challenges and opportunities confronting the industry, and the presentation of the annual Combs Gates Award by the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
The presidents panel, moderated by Bolen, will feature Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President and CEO Craig Fuller, Experimental Aircraft Association President and CEO Rod Hightower, General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce, Helicopter Association International President Matt Zuccaro and National Air Transportation Association President and CEO Jim Coyne.
Following the presidents panel, National Aviation Hall of Fame President Phil Roberts will present the annual Combs Gates Award to filmmaker Heather Taylor, of Columbia, MD, in recognition of a documentary she directed and produced, entitled “Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women’s National Air Derby.” Accompanying Roberts for the presentation will be Hall of Fame enshrinees Cernan, Lacy, Hoover and Tucker. The Combs Gates award is named for business aviation pioneers Harry Combs and John Gates.
NBAA 64th Annual Meeting & Convention: Day 2 Opening Session
Las Vegas, NV, October 11, 2011
The second-day activities will take place as part of NBAA2011, which is scheduled from Monday, October 10, to Wednesday, October 12. The event will feature exhibits at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), a Static Display of Aircraft outside the LVCC and another on Henderson Executive Airport, as well as over 100 education sessions.
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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
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International Business Aviation Council Ltd.