Van Nuys Company Hosts Aviation Forum

More than 1,000 people attended the National Business Aviation Association Regional Forum at Van Nuys Airport on March 11. This was the first time in about five years the association has had a forum at the Valley airfield, choosing TWC Aviation as the location. The NBAA returned because with its new 43,000-square-foot hangar and 22 acres of ramp space there was the room for the 70 exhibitors and the 17 static aircraft on display, said TWC President Andrew Richmond. “It gives people a chance to see our new hangar and our new plane, a Falcon 2000 LX,” Richmond said. TWC relocated to the Valley airfield from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank in 2008. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen gave an update on the efforts by the advocacy group in the fight over the image of business aviation has in the media and before lawmakers. Bolen also said that signs of recovery for the business aviation industry are weak for 2010 but pointed to improvement in coming years. Flight activity has picked up, sale prices of aircraft have stabilized and the inventory of pre-owned aircraft has dropped when compared to a year ago, Bolen said. “We are beginning to see progress at the economic level,” Bolen said. —Mark R. Madler