Passion and Persistence, the Power to Fulfilling Dreams: “Student Day” of ABACE 2014

April 24, 2014
On Student Day, aviation experts and approximately 100 students discussed such topics as what are business aviation, the passion and dreams of pilots, and career opportunities and challenges in business aviation.

On April 17, Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE 2014 ) greeted the students from aviation universities, who came to participate in the event of “Student Day” under the invitation of the organizers of ABACE  -  Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). The drizzling spring rain during that day did not stake the students' enthusiasm for learning about business jets. At the event venue, aviation experts and approximately 100 students discussed such topics as what are business aviation, the passion and dreams of pilots, and career opportunities & challenges in business aviation. 

Mr. Ed Bolen, President and CEO of NBAA, and encouraged them to uphold  their dreams and advance to success step by step while greeting the students.

Mr. Kevin Wu, Chairman of AsBAA, mentioned in his opening speech that the prospect of the business aviation in China was worth looking forward to, that the students are lucky to be in the right time for the business aviation is still in its infancy but running short of talents, and that they should plan their career carefully, and that one can only achieve success with the true  love for this industry and under the guidance of passion and efforts.

Mr. Liao Xuefeng, China Representative of NBAA, and David Dixon, President of Jetcraft Asia, shared with the students on the current development of business aviation in China. 

Mr. James Wilson, Captain of TEXTRON Aviation Group, advised the students to maintain passion, enjoy study and work, and stride forward to their dreams with confidence and perseverance. He encouraged the students by presenting a photo of an armless woman pilot operating in the pilothouse. “This is the power of dream. If she can do it, you can do it,”expressed James.

Team “Dream One”  from Beihang University showcased their own business aircraft design works, and interacted with the guests and students at the venue. In the end, students from Beihang University and Shanghai Civil Aviation College boarded on the aircraft made by different manufacturers from Gulfstream International Corporation, Textron Aviation and Embraer S.A., and got a further understanding and knowledge of business aircraft and business aviation as the result of the explanation of the pilots and experts. 

Dr. Gao Yuanyang  from Beihang University and Ms. Zhu Kai, China Representative of General Aviation Manufacturers Association praised highly the activity.  “The students are eager for more opportunities to conduct in-depth communication with experts and practitioners in business aviation industry.  This not only benefits extremely the students in understanding  the industry so  that they can plan better their own career, but also plays a positive role in promoting the development of this industry,” commented Dr. Gao and Ms. Zhu Kai.

AsBAA and NBAA hope to develop the activity into a long-term program, inviting students from all over China and beyond to the whole Asian region.  The organizers will help  to cultivate the students’ cognition of and interest in business aviation through continuing this activity, and encourage students to challenge themselves with passion and dream, manage well own knowledge, set high standards for themselves with strong sense of responsibility, and fly with dream!

Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) is a non-profit association which represents more than 100 entities. The purpose of the Asian Business Aviation Association is to promote the benefits of business aviation in Asia and to help the companies who rely on business aviation aircraft succeed in Asian market through advocacy, information, networking, coordination of messages among the members (we speak with one voice) and business support services. The Association pursues this mission by fostering the highest degree of operational efficiency and safety, networking with business aviation entities in & outside of Asia and advocating the benefits of business aviation to regulatory agencies and industry groups. AsBAA is to strive for a beneficial environment to encourage business aviation to thrive in Asia. For more information, please refer to AsBAA website at www.asbaa.org.

In partnership with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), AsBAA holds the annual Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) - Asia’s premier airshow.