Conference season is always a good reminder of why this industry is the way it is. Between this year’s IADA Convention in Florida and NAFA Conference in Savannah, our team came away with plenty of insights worth sharing and a few unforgettable moments along the way.
IADA Convention: Relationships Still Drive the Deal
If there was one major throughline across the panels and hallway conversations in Florida, it was this: aviation is still fundamentally a relationship business. Even as technology changes the way deals are handled, speakers touched on the same ideas: trust, transparency, and long-term partnerships are what actually close deals and maintain client relationships.
Data is changing the buying process. Several sessions focused on how much more strategic buyers and sellers are becoming. Real-time market trends, aircraft utilization data, and operational efficiency metrics are now standard to the valuation process, not just icing on the cake.
The market remains resilient. Despite economic uncertainties, demand for private aviation hasn’t slowed. Attendees noted continued interest from both first-time buyers and companies looking for the flexibility and time savings that private aviation offers.
NAFA Conference: Connection, Conversation, and Savannah Charm
The NAFA Conference brought a different energy—part industry business, part reunion, set against the backdrop of Savannah’s riverfront.
The next generation is paying attention. A highlight of the event was seeing students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engaging across multiple corners of the aircraft industry. Their enthusiasm was a genuine bright spot and good reminder that the pipeline of talent and interest coming into aviation is alive and well.
FAA registry changes are top of mind. One of the most valuable sessions was a panel featuring Katie DeLuca, Scott McCreary, and Jack Gilchrist, digging into the FAA registry’s future plans and how upcoming changes — including privacy issues tied to CARES — will ripple through the industry and affect customers directly. There’s understandable concern across the industry about these shifts, but it was encouraging to hear that Scott and Jack have already met directly with the FAA to voice those concerns. Here’s hoping the agency takes that feedback to heart as it finalizes its approach.
The preowned market is a puzzle worth understanding. Another standout panel brought together Shawn Dinning (Dallas Jet), Emily Deaton (jetAVIVA), and David Monacell (CFS Jets) to talk through the realities of sourcing preowned aircraft in a market where inventory is tight. It was a great reminder that by the time a transaction reaches escrow, an enormous amount of legwork has already gone into finding the right aircraft for the right buyer — escrow is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.
Networking is still the best part. Between panels, the receptions and breaks delivered exactly what they’re supposed to: good conversations with familiar faces and new connections. It’s a friendly industry, and events like this are a great reminder of that.
A Few Favorite Savannah Moments
Beyond the sessions themselves, Savannah delivered some memorable extracurriculars:
- Watching massive container ships glide past us on the riverfront — an unexpected, close-up encounter.
- The Savannah Ghost Trolley Tour, hosted by Keeley Burgess of Aviation Legal Group, which turned out to be both fun and genuinely informative.
- Dinner at the Olde Pink House — if you’re ever in Savannah, this one’s a must.
- The pilgrimage to Leopold’s Ice Cream on a 90-degree afternoon, complete with a line out the door, a 20-minute wait, and a hard-earned treat eaten standing up on the sidewalk. It cost a couple of blisters and a broken shoe on the walk back — but by all accounts, it was worth every step.
Final Thoughts
Between the strategic insight from IADA and the candid, forward-looking conversations at NAFA, this stretch of conferences was a great reminder of what makes this industry tick: strong relationships, smart use of data, and a community that genuinely enjoys showing up for each other. We’re already looking forward to the next one.
