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NBAA’s annual meeting and convention is one of the most commercial events in aviation. Millions of dollars are spent on the trade show by attendees and exhibitors. But the show also has a social side. I always run into people I’ve known for years but haven’t seen lately. It’s just plain fun visiting with them.

Larry Fischer—one of the first people who hired me to speak for an aviation group—was there. We enjoyed reminiscing about old friends who have—and have not—made it big. Speaking of big in the industry, the ever-delightful Bill Cutter was there. Bill has been around forever but still looks like a cross between Clark Gable and Roscoe Turner, and still rides off on week long horseback treks.

John Stafford, for years a valued employee of Showalter Flying Service, now southeast sales manager of the Hiller Group, was there, as was Richard Jenkins.

Richard Jenkins and I worked in Montgomery, AL, about 35 years ago. He is today aviation manager of a large bank. Richard was a part-time artist back in the day, and I bought a print from him. He promised that he would become famous and I would get rich selling the print. We are both still waiting for that to happen, but the print hangs proudly in my home.

David Augustin, President of Corporate Flight Management, walked up with Allen Howell, CEO of the same company. I had never met Allen, but knew his father, Reese Howell, back in the 1970s when he was a Sky God MU-2 pilot and I a low-time new hire of National Aviation Underwriters. I had never even seen the inside of a turbo-prop airplane and was in awe of anyone who could actually fly one. Now his son, for crying out loud, is a CEO. Have I really been around that long?

There were many more delightful old friends, but that’s all I can cover here. It was a great show. Wish you’d been there.

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