The 25th annual GAMTA conference has been hailed a success by those who attended.

The event, held at the Bellhouse, Beaconsfield, UK, on March 11, played host to 157 attendees, with the aim of uniting people within the industry. Mark Wilson, GAMTA chief executive, said: “The conference is the focal point in the general aviation calendar. This year’s event

again showed its importance in bringing together industry, government and regulators.”

The keynote speech, entitled ‘The role of the Civil Aviation Authority following the creation of the European Aviation Safety Agency’, was given by Mike Bell, group director of the safety regulation group within the CAA. Other issues discussed at the conference included fractional ownership, operations in Europe, multicrew pilot’s licence, maintenance licensing and activity under EASA.

The recurring theme of the conference was security for business and general aviation. Bob Blouin, senior vice president of operations with NBAA, outlined trial schemes being undertaken in the United States. GAMTA and NBAA

will endeavour to develop over-arching security themes during the coming months.

Noting that the agenda items focused on issues important to all worldwide business aviation, Blouin said: “If we don’t stand together as an industry we will surely suffer, and that is why conferences like this, EBACE and NBAA are so important.

“We need to meet with regional groups, get the issues out on the table, discuss them in detail and provide a united front to regulators and other government officials. GAMTA’s event reinforces what is

best presented on regional conference agendas.”

Ron Elder, head of aerodrome, air traffic and licensing standards division with the Civil Aviation Authority said of the conference: “As always, it was an excellent and informative event.” He commented that the industry can be confident that through GAMTA, “the wider aspects are being handled in

fine style.”