encapsulated China's various provinces and flavors. In addition to partaking of good food, conversation and entertainment, a few members of the delegation were even coaxed into dancing a traditional Yunnan dance on the stage for all the patrons at the restaurant.

Thursday, March 16th - Day 2

After a bit of rest and a complimentary breakfast, the attendees were once again back to discussing the future of general aviation in China. The topics of the second day of presentations shifted from policy and conceptual ideas to more practical applications.

The day's events kicked off as Mr. Zhao Qijiang, the General Manager for the Beijing Capital Airports Holding Company VIP Department, introduced their current feature project, the largest FBO in the world. Located at the Beijing International Airport, the FBO is scheduled for completion in June of 2006, and will be able to accommodate approximately four 747s and 10-15 corporate jets, simultaneously. As he wrapped up his presentation, Mr. Zhao introduced perhaps the largest single international partnership opportunity of Forum. He announced, for the first time publicly, that BCAH was looking for an international business partner to operate the MRO portion of the FBO operation. As anticipated, a barrage of questions and speculation ensued as to which international partner would be a solid fit for the new Beijing FBO. The unprecedented announcement exemplified the premise of the China General Aviation Forum events and its focus on the development of international partnership and dialogue.

Without missing a beat, the next presentation kept the level of energy in the conference room sky-high, as Mr. Graeme Patten embarked on a topic unfamiliar to most Chinese aviation professionals--skydiving. Representing Absolute Skygear in Australia, Graeme put on a visceral display, featuring video and audio of the recent record-breaking group skydive in Thailand that left the attendees in awe. As China's economy continues to expand and its citizens begin looking for alternative forms of recreation, niche market recreational activities such as skydiving will undoubtedly witness a rapid and prominent increase, as demonstrated by Graeme's final question, “Who would want to do this?” A roomful of hands went up.

The second day of the forum concluded with a “Present Your Project” session, in which attendees had the opportunity to introduce current projects in China. From aircraft manufacturers to hover-cars, magazines to extreme sports, a buffet of aviation-related topics were touched upon and discussed. As the presentation portion of the GA Forum wound down, attendees prepared to get some rest in anticipation of the Shanghai Airlines Hongqiao FBO tour the next day.

Friday, March 16th - Day 3

Day three began with the one-on-one portion of the forum, in which attendees got the chance to sit down with other members to discuss topics of interest. The culmination of the last two days of presentations meant numerous topics of discussion and partnership potential. With the aid of on-the-fly translation provided by Francis Chao, true international dialogue was made possible between the Chinese and international parties.

In the afternoon, the international delegation set off to visit the Shanghai Airlines FBO at Hongqiao Airport. Greeted by the Shanghai Airlines staff, attendees witnessed firsthand the operation of Shanghai's only FBO and their Hawker business jet. The modest facility was very symbolic of China's entire GA infrastructure, a growing younger sibling looking up to and learning from its more mature brethren, the US and EU.

The delegation was then bussed across town to visit the old Shanghai airport facility, Long Hua Airport, which ceased commercial operations in August of 1966. Since, the facility has been reduced to a runway with a few scattered hangars lining its length. While, at first glance, the facility looks all but deserted, we soon found out that this relic facility was in actuality the home to Shanghai's only flying club, as well as China Eastern's flight training program. In a hangar on the far end of the runway, three meticulously cared-for Cessnas sat waiting to see some action. During our visit to the Long Hua Airport, we learned one very interesting fact about China's aviation environment, while chatting with the manager of China Eastern's private flight training program., He revealed that, because commercial aviation is in such demand, private air training has basically been put on hold, and noted that, currently, his aircraft offer only an aesthetic appeal, as they hardly ever see daylight.

The 2006 edition of the China General Aviation Forum ended with something old and something new. Attendees got a chance to witness the next chapter of Chinese aviation, GA and business aviation at Hongqiao Airport, as well as Shanghai's first commercial airport, Long Hua. The 2006 Forum accomplished many of its fundamental goals, the most important of which was to increase the international dialogue and foster new business relationships to aid the development of China's GA sector. This truly international event realized many important characteristics, both positive and negative, of China's emerging GA sector, and will no doubt be a springboard towards future business relationships and industry growth; in a country where development is often out of the hands of operators, gaining a voice is perhaps the first real step towards progress.