European Business Air News is delighted to announce that the first UK Business & General Aviation Day (BGAD01) will be staged at Cambridge Airport on June 14, 2001.

BGAD01 is being presented in association with Marshall Aerospace and will bring the best of business and general aviation to the UK for a day-long event, that will encompass a static display of demonstrator aircraft (from turbine helicopters to long-range business jets), user meetings, table-top displays of leading business aviation suppliers and a meeting of the Business Aviation Users Association (BAUA).

Exhibition organiser Mark Ranger said: "Visitors from virtually anywhere in the UK will be able to attend this one-day event. We are using our long experience of organising EBAS shows, when we found the three-day format stretched the resources of European business aviation too far.

"We believe that by concentrating on one country at a time, for one day at a time, we will be able to deliver a more focused event, that will be successful for both visitors and participating companies."

Exhibitors are already pledging their support for BGAD some seven months ahead of the day itself. Among the companies so far committed to attending BGAD are Signature Engineering, FlightSafety International and McAlpine Helicopters (who will be bringing aircraft). Cambridge Airport residents Gold Air International will be playing a key role in the day, and will have at least one of its Lear 45 aircraft on display.

McAlpine's marketing manager John Osmond said: "It's like a breath of fresh air for the industry. I take my hat off to people doing something different because if we always do what we've always done as an industry, we'll always get what we've always got. In my book, any change is a good change.

"BGAD will take place in a reputable establishment, supported by a reputable team and is a particularly innovative concept of EBAN's."

BGAD will retain a strictly business atmosphere and although entry will be free of charge, all visitors will be registered on-site for security purposes. The visitors will comprise owners of business aircraft, pilots, operations and corporate flight departments, as well as prospective owners of business aircraft and potential users of business aviation who are within the catchment area of Cambridge, well known for its concentration of high-tech businesses.

The fact that BGAD takes place less than a week before the Paris Air Show is quite deliberate, as many of the major demonstrator aircraft will be in Europe to attend Paris. BGAD allows their operators to add valuable additional sales opportunities to their European schedule, with the lowest possible participation costs. Exhibiting aircraft will not be charged landing fees at Cambridge Airport.

Mark Ranger added: "We have had some very exciting feedback from manufacturers as to how they intend to be present themselves during BGAD, and I look forward to updating the position in EBAN as soon as each development is confirmed. Our plans for BGAD seem to have caught the industry's imagination as the right way to reach a very valuable marketplace."

EBAN readers who wish to know about exhibiting or visiting BGAD should contact Mark on +44 (0) 1279 714509, or email mark@gbjtv.com.