China General Aviation Forum 2005

Amidst a chilly spring backdrop in a city graced with both beauty and history, Xi'an, China played host to the highly anticipated 2005 General Aviation Forum. From March 16th-18th, international aviation operators and manufacturers from all over the world sat down face to face with their Chinese counterparts to discuss progressive ideas and promote the smooth and rapid development of China's general aviation sector. Sponsored by Capital Airports Holding Company VIP Department, DeerJet, and hosted by Uniworld, LLC, the 2005 GA Forum saw the participation of nearly 120 international and Chinese attendees from firms such as FedEx, Raytheon, and China Aviation Oil Holding Company, to name a few. The three-day long event in Xi'an featured two days of informative conferences focusing on the general aviation situation in both China and the international arena, one-on-one meeting sessions where international firms sat down with particular Chinese firms for in depth business discussions, followed by a one-day tour of a civil/military aviation facility as well as the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty.

The 2005 General Aviation Forum officially kicked off Tuesday evening, March 15th, with a reception ceremony unique to this type of event in China. Drinks and appetizers set the table for preliminary introductions between attendees. The relaxed atmosphere encouraged individuals to discuss their goals at this year's forum and actively seek out participants in complementary fields. As the two and a half hour reception came to a close, the attendees retired to their rooms to rest up for day one of the 2005 General Aviation Forum.

Although the first day of the 2005 GA Forum was met with light rains, the spirit among the attendees remained sky high. From the opening remarks of Mrs. Fan Xiao Mei, the Deputy Director of the China Aviation Association and Mr. Barry Valentine, the Senior Vice President of International Affairs of GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association), it was clear that the attendees all shared a common goal of cooperation at this year’s forum. That, reinforced with the official forum theme of “Application of GA in China’s Society Today”, opened the door for constructive dialogue between attendees.

The first day saw presentations from Capital Airports Holding Company VIP Department, DeerJet, GAMA, China Development Bank, FedEx FAO, Flight Training Australia, Cirrus Design and the China GA Research Center. Wednesday’s discussions peaked as Mr. Tim Harris and Mr. Robert McAndrew of FedEx FAO spoke of possibly expanding their Feeder program into more remote areas of China and how that would positively correlate with a stronger GA network. It was apparent through the first day of talks that both sides acknowledged the lack of infrastructure and equipment in China as an issue, but with investors like the China Development Bank beginning to line up, optimism about the future of GA in China remained high.

After a brief intermission for lunch, Mr. Jason Liao, Sales Director of North Asia for Raytheon, launched the afternoon session with an insightful presentation regarding the benefits of general aviation to China’s economy as well as different applications of general aviation which can be applied to China’s vast and varied topography.

The first day of the 2005 GA Forum concluded with a dumpling banquet and a mesmerizing show featuring music and dance from the Tang Dynasty.

Thursday March 17th, 2005 – Day 2

Clear skies accompanied the attendees into the second day of the GA Forum. Mr. Chen Ming, General Manager of DeerJet, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, kicked-off the day’s presentations with an important message central to the spirit of the 2005 GA Forum, the importance of open dialogue and cooperation between the international and Chinese firms. Mr. Chen explained that, in order for Chinese GA to be successfully established, operators must: 1) seek out and follow successful models of operation in the international GA sector and 2) form associations to bring forth new ideas and cooperation into China’s industry. This speech then segued into one of the highlights of Thursday’s presentations, Mr. Johnny Zeven, CFO of Intersoft Electronics, introducing the ADS-B Air Traffic Control equipment, its functions and potential applications in the remote regions of Western China. ADS-B is a GPS based ATC system that allows the operator to precisely pinpoint aircraft location, and when coupled with radar information, greatly increases the accuracy of air traffic management. More practical, however, is the ability of a standalone ADS-B system to bring reliable ATC data to remote areas with unyielding terrain and dangerous flying conditions without straining local government budgets or having to set up complicated radar systems; which may be a viable option for China’s cities and provinces with less than extravagant means.

Another prominent topic that arose out of two days of constructive dialogue was the necessity of establishing aviation associations in China for the purpose of promoting unified development as well as increased awareness for firms in the GA sector. Mr. Barry Valentine of GAMA first introduced the importance of GA associations in his opening speech in the Wednesday morning session of the forum, and his ideas were then reinforced on Thursday as Mr. Wilson Kao, a representative of the Taipei GA Association, took the podium. Mr. Kao began by identifying the benefits of a unified sector, followed by demonstrating how members of an association gain from the increased cooperation instead of direct competition with each other. Throughout the duration of the 2005 GA Forum, the idea of establishing GA associations in China remained a prominent focal point of discussions.

Friday March 18th, 2005 – Day 3

	Wednesday March 16th, 2005 – Day 1 Although the first day of the 2005 GA Forum was met with light rains, the spirit among the attendees remained sky high. From the opening remarks of Mrs. Fan Xiao Mei, the Deputy Director of the China Aviation Association and Mr. Barry Valentine, the Senior Vice President of International Affairs of GAMA (General Aviation Manufacturers Association), it was clear that the attendees all shared a common goal of cooperation at this year’s forum. That, reinforced with the official forum theme of “Application of GA in China’s Society Today”, opened the door for constructive dialogue between attendees. The first day saw presentations from Capital Airports Holding Company VIP Department, DeerJet, GAMA, China Development Bank, FedEx FAO, Flight Training Australia, Cirrus Design and the China GA Research Center. Wednesday’s discussions peaked as Mr. Tim Harris and Mr. Robert McAndrew of FedEx FAO spoke of possibly expanding their Feeder program into more remote areas of China and how that would positively correlate with a stronger GA network. It was apparent through the first day of talks that both sides acknowledged the lack of infrastructure and equipment in China as an issue, but with investors like the China Development Bank beginning to line up, optimism about the future of GA in China remained high. After a brief intermission for lunch, Mr. Jason Liao, Sales Director of North Asia for Raytheon, launched the afternoon session with an insightful presentation regarding the benefits of general aviation to China’s economy as well as different applications of general aviation which can be applied to China’s vast and varied topography. The first day of the 2005 GA Forum concluded with a dumpling banquet and a mesmerizing show featuring music and dance from the Tang Dynasty.

	Thursday March 17th, 2005 – Day 2 Clear skies accompanied the attendees into the second day of the GA Forum. Mr. Chen Ming, General Manager of DeerJet, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, kicked-off the day’s presentations with an important message central to the spirit of the 2005 GA Forum, the importance of open dialogue and cooperation between the international and Chinese firms. Mr. Chen explained that, in order for Chinese GA to be successfully established, operators must: 1) seek out and follow successful models of operation in the international GA sector and 2) form associations to bring forth new ideas and cooperation into China’s industry. This speech then segued into one of the highlights of Thursday’s presentations, Mr. Johnny Zeven, CFO of Intersoft Electronics, introducing the ADS-B Air Traffic Control equipment, its functions and potential applications in the remote regions of Western China. ADS-B is a GPS based ATC system that allows the operator to precisely pinpoint aircraft location, and when coupled with radar information, greatly increases the accuracy of air traffic management. More practical, however, is the ability of a standalone ADS-B system to bring reliable ATC data to remote areas with unyielding terrain and dangerous flying conditions without straining local government budgets or having to set up complicated radar systems; which may be a viable option for China’s cities and provinces with less than extravagant means. Another prominent topic that arose out of two days of constructive dialogue was the necessity of establishing aviation associations in China for the purpose of promoting unified development as well as increased awareness for firms in the GA sector. Mr. Barry Valentine of GAMA first introduced the importance of GA associations in his opening speech in the Wednesday morning session of the forum, and his ideas were then reinforced on Thursday as Mr. Wilson Kao, a representative of the Taipei GA Association, took the podium. Mr. Kao began by identifying the benefits of a unified sector, followed by demonstrating how members of an association gain from the increased cooperation instead of direct competition with each other. Throughout the duration of the 2005 GA Forum, the idea of establishing GA associations in China remained a prominent focal point of discussions. The second and final day of presentations at the 2005 GA Forum wrapped up with one-on-one meetings and business discussions between Chinese and International counterparts. During this phase, attendees got a chance to sit down and discuss potential partnerships and future business opportunities with other attendees who may have piqued their interest during the duration of the conference.

	Friday March 18th, 2005 – Day 3 After two tiresome, yet productive, days of presentations and uninterrupted seriousness, the attendees were finally able to get some fresh air and enjoy the beautiful Xi’an countryside. After a quick breakfast, two charter buses (complete with police escort) rounded up the attendees and headed out towards the Yan Liang Flight Testing Facility in the outskirts of Xi’an. Usually restricted to international delegations, the civil/military joint use airport is located next to AVIC I (China Aviation Industry Corporation I), China’s largest military aviation research and development institute, and is the flight testing and research center for various aircraft from fighter jets to GA applications. With special permission, the GA Forum attendees were escorted onto a runway and received overviews of the operations and the aircraft tested at the facility. The delegation was then ushered into the control center of the facility for a brief welcome speech followed by a video presentation of the facility via four large flat panel screens in the front of the control center. After the presentation, the delegation headed off in search of lunch, leaving with the realization that they had just been privileged to a tour that only a few international personnel have ever had the opportunity to witness. After lunch it was time for the highly anticipated tour of the Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty located in Lintong County. For most of the international attendees of the 2005 GA Forum, this was their first time visiting the historical site, and upon arrival, the awe-inspiring pits baring over 8,000 clay warriors and horses dating over 2,000 years did not fail to impress. During the three hour tour, the attendees roamed three huge pits and witnessed hundreds of restored warriors, horses, chariots, priceless artifacts and even had the opportunity to shake hands with the farmer who originally discovered the first clay soldier back in 1974! The tour was definitely a captivating way to cap off a tremendously successful 2005 GA Forum. For the fortunate few who were able to attend the forum to share the incredible experience; it can be safely said that it will not be soon forgotten; but for those who have to settle for living vicariously through the details of this article, I suppose there is always the 2006 GA Forum to look forward to.

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