Cautious Optimism Remains The Watchword For A Show Almost As Popular As 2007's

This is Aero-TV's final daily update from the floor of the National Business Aviation Association's 61st Annual Meeting & Convention.

Among the highlights Tuesday...

• Jim Bass, President of Piper Aircraft announced that, against declining industry-wide sales of piston aircraft, Piper's piston sales are up this year.

  

• We caught up with Nicolas Chabbert from EADS Socata for an update... including word on the company's next aircraft project.

  

• Hawker Beechcraft announced its own foray into a new market... with a $200 million order from its dealership in Brazil, the backyard of rival Embraer...

  

• Monday's Very Light Jet forum got a status report on the segment from four manufacturers in varying stages of VLJ development.

  

• Training and electronics leader Jeppesen signed the first of what might lead to many agreements with French planemaker Dassault Falcon, to distribute the Jeppesen's electronic flight bag software to Falcon jet customers.
• One company making headlines on a variety of topics at NBAA is Cessna... but the company's news wasn't confined solely to its new Columbus jet. CEO Jack Pelton filled us on what else is happening at Cessna.

  

  Sunday morning Jack Pelton had an update on Cessna's 2008 details for Aero-TV.
  Monday afternoon Harrison Ford was on hand to participate in the announcement of the Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift.
• And finally... not all the activity on the show floor at NBAA 2008 had to do with flashy business aircraft and new gadgets.
  Aero-TV had the chance to speak with Amanda Wright Lane, the great-grand-niece of aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright... in front of the newest flying replica of an original 1910 Wright Model "B".

  

  Some might call this the first business aircraft...

This wraps up our Aero-TV coverage of the NBAA 2008 Convention. For more details on these stories and a whole lot more, be sure to check out ANN's online event coverage. 

FMI: www.nbaa.org, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews