A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

The 2023 King Air Gathering (KAG) drew some 150 attendees from across the U.S. and overseas to St. Augustine, Florida, from April 12 to 14 for Beechcraft King Air-focused seminars and camaraderie. It also marked a new era following the 2022 merger of event owner and King Air parts specialist Davis Aviation with King Air Nation.
The rebranded organization aims to create a larger and more social King Air community, with the annual KAG at its heart, and become “synonymous with the King Air,” marketing director David Johnson told AIN. Last year’s gathering was at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee, which was a historically appropriate location but did not offer the amenities many King Air owners seem to prefer, he noted.
This year’s location at the World Golf Village resort underscored the new direction of the organization. Overall attendance was up by 70 percent, and vendor count about doubled, Johnson said. Attendees included 60 to 70 owner/operators, some 30 of whom flew in to host FBO Sky Harbor Aviation at Jacksonville Craig Airport (KCRG). Featured speakers included Tom Clements, author of "The King Air Bible," and afternoon breakout sessions for King Air 90-, 200-, and 300-series aircraft addressed avionics, airframe, and engine updates.
Next year’s KAG is scheduled to take place at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

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Attendance was up by 70 percent and vendor count nearly doubled at the 2023 King Air Gathering, marking a new era for the annual event.

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