This year's mockup forum taking up nearly one million square feet of exhibit space, was at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

mockup forum article

The 1011 exhibits ranged from small booths for independent FBOs to massive and lavish multi-story, multi-media displays (complete with private dining areas and catering) for the Gulfstream, Bombardier and Cessna Citation lines. Essentially every mockup forum business aircraft manufacturer, every fuel supplier, every avionics manufacturer, every overhaul facility, every flight planning service, every FBO chain, every accessory product manufacturer - everyone and everything having to do with business aviation - exhibits at NBAA.

In addition to the convention exhibits, the mockup forum convention always includes a large static display, this time at Orlando Executive airport (ORL) with 151 aircraft shown. The static display brings together on one airport ramp the largest and latest (Boeing BBJ, Gulfstream G-VSP), the smallest in the business fleet (EADS Socata TBM-700, Piper Meridian) and everything between (all the Falcons, all the Lears, all the Citations) - plus the niche players (Piaggio Avanti). And, in addition to the certificated aircraft, a number of prototype test flight articles were shown (Adam Aircraft A-500). Also, many aircraft brokers bring used aircraft to the show for inspection by prospective buyers.

And, just as general aviation manufacturers and avionics suppliers use Oshkosh as a venue to announce major new products, business aircraft manufacturers and suppliers do the same at NBAA. You might ask why they would hold this convention on September 11th, especially when last year's conference, which was scheduled for mid-September 2001, had to be cancelled.

The reason is simple: there are only three convention centers in the entire US large enough to host this show and it therefore has to be scheduled four-six years ahead of time - and the dates were set and unchangeable mockup forum.