ANN's Jim Campbell put it all on the line a few weeks ago when
he announced his intent to spearhead the Aviation Transformation
Conference. For a guy who has put his buns on the line, countless
times to say or do what he thinks best for the survival of
aviation, its his gutsiest move yet... and it will need hundreds of
innovative, inventive, dedicated people to make it happen.
Based on conversations with aviation and aerospace innovators
who believe the aviation world needs Transformative Change to
survive, Aero News Network Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Jim
Campbell has announced a two day Aviation Transformation
Conference, ATC2012, to be held in March at the magnificent St.
Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Campbell says the purpose of ATC2012 will go beyond incremental
adjustments. He explains, "I have looked long and hard at the
concept of true change, something my friend, XPrize Founder Peter
Diamandis, calls 'Transformative Change.' By this, I mean creating
something that is not merely an extension or improvement on past
courses, but a radical and complete change in the overall state and
direction of a program or pursuit."
He continues, "I have looked long and hard at other cultural and
industrial movements, and especially those that have shown success
in being effective in getting true change instituted, or have
proven the ability to fight for a cause, or been able to educate
and shape the minds of people throughout the world. I've looked at
widely disparate industries and programs, everything from
ecological movements to gun advocacy programs. When committed,
passionate, people with true vision are able to join together and
work effectively, amazing things can happen."
"ATC2012: The Beginning Of The Next Generation Of Aviation"
expects to attract more than 200 innovators, activists, and
passionate advocates of aviation, and has already announced an
impressive list of participants and organizers, including:
Gregg Maryniak and Peter Diamandis - XPrize
founder Peter Diamandis and the truly extraordinary fellow who
actually inspired the XPrize, Gregg Maryniak, have become true
experts in understanding and creating programs and movements that
have changed the world.
Phil Boyer - The retired AOPA President
understands much of what this industry needs and can add much to
the discourse to come.
Alan Klapmeier - A visionary who jump-started a
GA Renaissance with the founding of Cirrus Design, Alan created a
whole new generation of revolutionary GA aircraft.
Michael Maya Charles - A pilot and aviation
journalist who "gets it" and is particularly good at providing a
challenge to many important arguments.
Doug Stewart - An incredibly versatile
spokesman and activist from the flight training community, Doug
helped create one of the most hopeful movements in GA in many
years, The Society for Aviation And Flight Educators (SAFE), and
helped lead the Pilot Training Reform Symposium which will bear
fruit for years to come.
Rich Davidson- Operating the Lee Bottom
Airport, a magnificent grass strip in a fairly unpopulated segment
of Indiana keeps Rich in touch with the passion of mom-&-pop
GA.
Vern Raburn - Vern took on incredible
challenges in pursuing his dreams with development of the Eclipse
500, the original Very Light Jet, and brings true passion for
changing aviation in radical and unexpected ways.
Jerry Gregoire - The Founder and passionate
genius behind the RedBird Flight Simulations effort, Jerry is not
satisfied with the current state of flight training and has taken
an aggressive and innovative approach to recrafting the world of
flight training.
On the first of ATC2012's two days in March, participants will
work through a critical examination of everything that is keeping
the aviation world stalled in its current failure mode. It will be
a brutal self-examination of everything wrong with this industry,
conducted in exacting detail, so that issues can be categorized,
prioritized, and grouped for examination and potential
resolution.
On Day Two, conceptual workgroups will be tasked with examining
the issues distilled from Day One in detail to seek initial
solution paths and recommendations for potential courses of action.
Each of these workgroups will then present summaries of their
discussions to the whole conference, and start preparing a more
comprehensive report that will be made available to the entire
conference within 30 to 60 days.
To provide a mechanism for implementing the needed changes at
the conclusion of ATC 2012, a unique organization will be formed to
undertake the solution paths suggested. Given a temporary,
tongue-in-cheek, working name of "Foundation For Aviation Advocacy"
or "FAA2," the organization will leverage the current revolution in
communication and online networking in an intensely efficient
organizational structure which facilitates 24/7 collaboration.
Campbell anticipates turf concerns among existing GA advocacy
groups. He promises, "This organization competes with no one, but
is willing to, and will seek to collaborate with everyone, and will
be unlike anything that has been done in this industry heretofore.
Further, it makes no claim on the primary missions espoused by
other organizations, and will seek to find ways to support every
good work done everywhere, no matter who's doing it or how they're
doing it, so long as the aviation community benefits and progresses
because of it."
ANN is
issuing invitations to the aviation world for concerned
flyers and members of the aviation family to contact us to serve as
volunteers in a number of roles to make this event as
successful and powerful as possible.
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