NBAA's History of Serving the Business Aviation Community Since 1947
There might well be only a handful of aircraft flown by business today if it were not for
the vision and determination of a group of men who met at the Wings Club in the Biltmore Hotel,
New York, in the spring of 1946 to look at the air transportation environment from their point
of view. What they saw in those post-World War II days was both encouraging and discouraging.
On the bright side was a resurgence of commercial, business and personal flying. The scheduled
airlines were beginning a new period of expansion; independent non-scheduled freight and passenger
operators sprang up on all sides; and business firms, remembering the utility of aircraft
during the war, were turning to air transportation to meet the accelerating tempo of competition. On the darker side they saw that the regulatory agencies were proposing drastic and even
unwise measures to cope with the traffic control problems.
NBAA's Founding
The small group at the Wings Club was keenly aware that the interests of business flying
would suffer in any scramble for air space and recognition because it was the only segment
of the air operations industry not yet organized. The airlines had the Air Transport Association
(ATA); the pilots had the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA); the independent freight lines
formed their own group, and the lightplane flyers were well served by the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association (AOPA).
An organization to promote and protect the interests of business aircraft operators was urgently
needed and the first steps in that direction were taken by the group of 13 persons who met
informally at the Wings Club on May 17, 1946. Chief spokesman on the need for organization
was Palmer J. (Bud) Lathrop, then vice president of Bristol Meyers and later president of
Cameron Machinery Company. He had gained his knowledge of air transportation operations in
the Army Air Corps during World War II.
That meeting produced determination to move forward. Mr. Lathrop wrote to the presidents
of a number of companies, inviting them to be represented at a meeting scheduled coincident
with the Cleveland Air Races at which support for organization would be mustered. Sixteen
companies were represented in person at that November 21, 1946 meeting. Mr. Lathrop was asked
to chair the meeting and led it to an impressive conclusion. The Corporation Aircraft Owners
Association (CAOA), later to be renamed the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA),
was provisionally launched. A temporary Board of Directors, to consist of nine persons was
selected, temporary bylaws were adopted and plans were made to steer the fledging group toward
permanent existence. Actually performing service on the temporary Board for all or part of
the several months were representatives of ten companies: Republic Steel, Sinclair Oil, Champion
Paper, Bristol-Meyers, Howes Brothers, American Rolling Mills, B.F. Goodrich, Burlington Mills,
United Cigar-Whelan and Socony Vacuum. William B. Belden of Republic Steel functioned as chairman.
On February 17, 1947, a meeting of incorporators and Members was assembled in New York to
establish the permanent organization as a not-for-profit corporation. Consent for the filing
of the original certificate of incorporation had been obtained from the State of New York
on February 13 in preparation for the organizational meeting.
The first annual meeting of the organization was held in room 101 of the Biltmore Hotel on
September 24, 1947, with 18 voting and one associate company comprising its Membership. Approved
was all the preparatory work of establishing the association, the treasurer reported $1,239
on hand, and a vote was taken to elect nine Members of a permanent Board of Directors.
The 19 companies which comprised the Membership at the time of the annual meeting in the
"Charter" year of 1947 merit mention. The voting Members were American Rolling Mill
Co., Bristol-Meyers Co., Al Buchanan Drilling Co., Burlington Mills, Corp., Champion Paper
and Fiber Co., Corning Glass Works, General Electric Co., B.F. Goodrich Co., Goodyear Tire
and Rubber Co., Hanes Hosiery Mills Co., Howes Brothers Co., National Dairy Products Corp.,
Republic Steel Corp., Reynolds Metals Co., Sinclair Refining Co., L.B. Smith Co., United Cigar-Whelan
Stores and Wolfe Industries. In an Associate Member category was Atlantic Aviation Corporation.
NBAA's Early Years
The Association was based in New York during its first years of existence, initially sharing
the quarters of Skyways magazine. In late 1948, an Executive Secretary was hired.
The Korean War soon brought new challenges to business aviation. In January 1951, the Administrator
of the then Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) wrote to CAOA suggesting that it moves its offices
to Washington, D.C., so as to work closely with CAA, particularly in the handling of wartime
priorities for aircraft parts, supplies and equipment. In February of that year the organization
moved from 444 Madison Avenue, New York, to 1025 Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., initially
occupying one small room sublet from the Aeronautical Training Society.
By 1953 it became clear that the group's name should be changed to reflect its national scope
and the growing diversity of its constituency. At a special meeting held June 26, 1953, at
the Wings Club in New York City, it became the National Business Aircraft Association, Inc.
In 1988, the Association was reincorporated in the District of Columbia. In 1997, at the time
of its 50th anniversary, the Association changed its name to the National Business Aviation
Association, Inc. (NBAA), to reflect its ongoing commitment to serve the needs of the entire
business aviation community. (Review the NBAA Bylaws and the NBAA Certificate of Incorporation.)
Throughout its early years and its metamorphosis into a strong, internationally recognized
force, NBAA adhered unfailingly to its purpose of representing and protecting the aviation
interests of its Members; presenting a united business aircraft front in all matters where
organized action became necessary to improve aircraft, equipment, and service; and furthering
the cause of safety and economy of business aircraft operations.
NBAA has adhered faithfully to those objectives in the succeeding years since they were laid
down as its guiding philosophy, and the result has been steady growth in Membership, prestige
and influence.
NBAA has called on the strength and expertise of its Members on frequent occasions. One of
its early services was the appointment of a Technical Committee to handle challenges stemming
from the airframe and systems design and from aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures.
Several other standing committees were subsequently created to better manage problems of continuing
interest or concern to business aircraft operators.
Over the years, NBAA has sought improvements in airways and airports, better weather reporting
service, expansion in communications and air navigation facilities, higher standards of airport
services, improved aircraft parts distribution, equitable tax ruling for business aircraft
operations, fair allocation of available fuel, greater recognition of the airplane as a necessary
tool in modern business and industry, better air traffic control procedures, professional
status for qualified business pilots and aircraft designed to meet the special requirements
of business flying.
NBAA Today
NBAA has been in the forefront of efforts aimed at fairly settling problems related to air
space access, airports and aircraft noise. Today, NBAA is focused on issues such as aviation safety, operational efficiency, fair and
equal access, FAA reform, noise and compatible land use, peak hour landing fees, reliever
airports, air support, air traffic control modernization, product liability reform, research
and development, business aviation advocacy and various tax issues.
As the world of aviation has become more global, NBAA is at the forefront of international
issues such as an international aviation policy and improvement and standardization of global
air traffic systems.
The Association now provides assistance to
more than 8,000
Member Companies which earn annual revenues of approximately 5 trillion dollars – a number that exceeds 50 percent of the gross national product – and employ more that 19 million people worldwide.
NBAA collects, interprets and disseminates operational and managerial data related to the safe, efficient and cost-effective use of business aircraft. The Association is the focal point for identifying and understanding advances in technology and procedures important to the business aviation community.
Learn about NBAA's Senior Leadership and review NBAA's Statement of Purpose.
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