Published November 13, 2026 · Author: Bart Heinz, COO
NBAA-BACE 2026 brought the business aviation world to Las Vegas October 20–22, and ACES was there. Kevin, Donna, Curtis and I spent our time on the show floor catching up with longtime customers and meeting new ones. Walking the show instead of standing in a booth turned out to be a great way to engage and listen. Here's what came up most.
Speed matters, and customers count on it. Again and again, customers told us that short lead times are a big reason they come to ACES. When an aircraft is down or a delivery date is fixed, a test or certification that waits in a queue for weeks costs real money. Having our labs, engineers and DERs in one place is what lets us move quickly.
Certification know-how is just as valuable as the test itself. Many customers said they rely on ACES not only to run a test, but to help them work out which tests they need, what the certification path is, and how to get the paperwork right the first time. That guidance closes the gap between "we have an idea" and "we have a solution."
Our foam cushion replacements were a major topic. Seat cushion replacement came up in every conversation. MROs, service centers and operators were all excited about what ACES offers through First Class Foam. Replacing old cushions with certified new cushions that only have a 3-week resonated with everyone we talked to.
Many customers didn't know about everything that we do. Plenty of customers already use ACES for more than one service but didn't realize how much more we offer. Someone who sends us burn tests may not know we also handle 16G seat programs, DER approvals, structural analysis, product development/engineering, floorplan changes and compliance inspections.
That last point is a good reminder of where our name comes from. ACES stands for Aviation Consulting & Engineering Solutions, and the "S" is the part we care about most. Customers don't come to us for a single test. They come to us to get help solving a problem: a long lead time, a certification gap, a part that needs to be approved. Our job is to solve it, from engineering and testing through certification, with the whole team under one roof in Maize, Kansas.
Here is an excerpt from 'thank you' email that we just received just over a month ago from a CEO of a holding company, "Where others told us it was not possible, you made it possible! I can't thank you enough for the incredible efforts your team put forth from keeping an open mind, getting creative, leaning on partnerships and just getting the job done!" This is what ACES strives for.
Thank you to everyone who took time to talk with us in Las Vegas. If you only know ACES for one service, please ask us what else we can solve. If you'd like to continue the conversation, reach out to our team.
See you soon.
Cheers, Bart
