Recognising the vital need to maintain access to the association's top-level educational content even as the COVID-19 crisis has driven event cancellations across the country, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has launched its interactive NBAA GO series of online programming aimed at industry professionals.

NBAA GO, for ‘Going Online’, combines pre-recorded and interactive live content about the latest advancements, best practices and progress in the business aviation industry. Each session includes a live question-and-answer portion allowing attendees to engage virtually with session presenters and other industry professionals. Live sessions and Q&A will also be recorded for on-demand consumption.

“We're extremely excited to offer this new, interactive product to NBAA members seeking to further their education about the latest developments in our industry,” says Jo Damato, CAM, NBAA vice president of educational strategy and workforce development. “Especially during this difficult time, it's more important than ever that business aviation professionals remain informed and engaged.”

Launching with nearly 40 hours of available content, NBAA GO virtual sessions will provide access to the very latest educational content anytime, anywhere, allowing NBAA members to get up to speed on the latest industry developments whenever it's most convenient for them.

Nearly every NBAA GO online interactive session is eligible for quarter-point credit toward initial or recurrent Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) approval. The new interactive platform will initially feature sessions tied to three NBAA staple events that were cancelled or curtailed for 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis:

- Virtual IOC2020: From regional reviews to customs updates, these 2020 NBAA Virtual International Operators Conference (Virtual IOC2020) sessions are the best opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest critical safety and security information. Virtual IOC2020 will launch on Thursday, April 30 at 11.00 am EDT with a free opening keynote session from Medaire CEO Bill Dolny. New sessions will be available weekly on Thursdays at 11.00 a.m. EDT.

- Virtual MC2020: All business aviation maintenance professionals will benefit from the education sessions at the 2020 NBAA Virtual Maintenance Conference (Virtual MC2020), covering everything from new ways of doing business to best practices in aircraft maintenance. Virtual MC2020 will launch Monday, May 4 with a free keynote presentation offering the latest regulatory updates from the FAA, and new sessions will be available weekly on Mondays at 2.00 p.m. EDT.

- Virtual SDC2020: This combination of 2020 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2020) sessions recorded live on-site in Charlotte, North Carolina in early March and new sessions recorded virtually will keep members up-to-date on the latest operational information critical to business aviation, with an emphasis on building resilience in the face of challenges. Virtual SDC2020 sessions are available now and more will be added by May 15.

In addition to live Q&As following weekly presentations, NBAA GO sessions will further emphasise interactive content through a chat platform for attendees, fun giveaways, guided worksheets and other enhancements to promote attendee engagement.

“NBAA GO will include all of the scheduled education sessions planned for SDC2020, IOC2020 and MC2020 that lend themselves well to the virtual format,” Damato adds. “While these interactive online sessions are in no way intended to replace the experience of attending an NBAA conference in person, during this difficult time NBAA GO offers an exciting and innovative way for business aviation professionals to continue their engagement with an education about our industry.”