Reflections on Fly—in Gathering in China

The Oshkosh AirVenture sends three messages to private flying in China： private flying is a gentlemen’s sport， a transport mode of huge potential， and a way to foster more open exchanges between countries.

Challenge One：

Gentlemen not yet players

China’s new rich have their wealth accumulated in the recent 20 years. As they seek to build their wealth， image and identity， many choose to buy private airplanes as a representation of their social status， not to enjoy flying. But things are changing.

Challenge Two：

Outburst to be expected

Although low-altitude airspace is opening up， China’s general aviation is still lagging far behind developed countries and some developing countries which have an earlier start. But since 2012， general aviation in China started to attract attention from the media， civil aviation， and private aviation. With enough demand and a relaxed policy， an outburst growth is expected in 3 to 5 years.

Challenge Three：

Gathering for politics，

not out of enthusiasm

As Li Long， sales manager of Ao Bin Aircraft said， at EAA， companies who bring their aircraft to exhibit are there more to exchange with enthusiasts than to meet sales targets. The EAA AirVenture is a non-governmental salon. But similar events in China are usually semi-official， organized by businesses and sponsored by the government. The Government usually provides certain amount of finance， but not to foster exchanges， but to make events more spectacular. And because government funding are not always there， the semi-official model could not be sustainable.