Here, David Greenlee of Bowling Green, KY reviews the highlights of this year’s annual Kentucky Aviation Conference and Exhibition. The Aviation Conference is the Commonwealth’s largest event for aviation professionals, which Greenlee considers to be a backbone of the Kentucky economy.

A longtime Bowling Green resident, David Greenlee is a consultant for energy companies help them achieve maximum efficiency and output. He also happens to be an aviation enthusiast. Greenlee says the Aviation Conference combines both of his passions, as it gives him a chance to keep his finger on the pulse of a key economic sector in Kentucky while also spending time with aviators and fellow enthusiasts.

The Aviation Conference has been an annual event in Kentucky for 38 years, and this year’s brought together some of the most forward-thinking minds in aviation. For many people, it was a chance to see old friends as well as make new ones. It was also a three-day incubator for new ideas and business strategies in one of the nation’s most crucial industries.

Greenlee is quick to stress that the Aviation Conference is not only for pilots. Many of the people who attended this year were business leaders from the aviation industry or related sectors. Also present were airport workers, security professionals, managers, engineers and a wide variety of other professionals who have an interest in the future of aviation. In other words, it’s a crossroads for anybody who loves the science and business of flight.

One of the main draws of the event was the trade exhibition, in which numerous designers, engineers, merchants and aviation firms showed off products and services tailored to the industry. Kentuckians got a chance to glimpse new innovations at the Aviation Conference and Exhibition long before they would appear in the air or the public eye. The large crowd of industry professionals had merchants working hard to deliver the absolute best new developments in time for the show.

The conference also had an educational side, with workshops on every imaginable aspect of the industry. Greenlee says it’s always a joy to stop in at several of the workshops and broaden your knowledge of how the aviation industry works.

“We have a lot of incredible events that take place here in Bowling Green,” David Greenlee said. “It’s a real hub of industry in Kentucky. But the Aviation Conference is one of my favorites, year in and year out.”

This year’s Kentucky Aviation Conference and Exhibition took place September 10-12th.