AIN Contributor

Sheryl Barden

If you’re not thinking about your long-term career, you’re not behind. Most of us in business aviation are focused on the work in front of us. When things are running smoothly, and we’re happy on the job, there’s little reason to think beyond today.
What experience has shown me, however, is that career moments rarely announce themselves in advance. They arrive quietly, through a leadership change, the sale of an aircraft, or a reorganization you didn’t see coming.
Suddenly, questions you’ve never needed to ask feel urgent. Who do I know? Who would take my call? Where do I even start?
That’s when staying connected, in small and very human ways, starts to matter.
This doesn’t require ambition or a carefully mapped career plan. Some of the most grounded aviation professionals I know would never describe themselves as “networkers.” They’re simply people who stay loosely connected to others around them. They answer a call. They stay curious about what’s happening beyond their immediate role.
<h2>Why Connection Pays Off before You Need It</h2>
When you stay connected to your peers and colleagues, you often hear what’s changing long before it becomes something you’re forced to react to. That awareness doesn’t just help your future. It helps you do your job better today.
I see the impact of this firsthand. Recently, our team helped a client stand up a flight department in a Latin American country where we knew very few local nationals. By drawing on business relationships we’d cultivated over time, we were able to quickly identify and connect with the right candidates to help build that team. Those connections didn’t happen overnight. They existed because people stayed connected long before a need arose.
That experience reinforces an important point: staying connected doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.
Getting started doesn’t require a personality shift or a packed calendar. It can be as simple as replying to an update you usually skim past, attending a local aviation meeting, or reaching out to someone you already know. Engagement doesn’t need to be constant to be meaningful.
What tends to be harder is waiting until you need those connections. When change shows up and you’re starting from scratch, everything feels heavier. Conversations feel more awkward, and relationships feel transactional instead of natural. That’s the difference between reconnecting and simply continuing a conversation.
<h2>Proactive Connection, Done Well</h2>
One of the best examples I’ve ever seen of this was Sid Baker, who led several flight departments, including Kodak. Sid didn’t think of himself as a networker. He simply cared about people. Every few months, like clockwork, he called me. No agenda. No ask. Just genuine interest. Because of that, Sid always knew what was happening around him, and people always delighted in his calls.
You don’t need Sid’s system to get started. You just need one or two steady points of connection. A quarterly reminder. A familiar voice. A conversation that continues even when nothing is changing.
<h2>Where Connection Takes Shape</h2>
Those kinds of steady, human connections need a place to grow. That’s where industry groups and regional gatherings come in. Belonging to professional associations and showing up locally creates space for these kinds of connections to happen naturally. You don’t have to talk to everyone or “work the room.” You just have to be present and open to a few conversations.
As you know, business aviation is a tight-knit community, and most business is done through relationships. Groups such as NBAA and its regional groups bring together people from across roles, experience levels, and operations. Similarly, each aircraft manufacturer has owner-operator conferences that bring in like-minded attendees. [Ed. Note: AIN’s CALS events also bring flight department leaders together in small-group settings.] The conversations that happen at these events, often between sessions or over coffee, are where insight is shared and trust begins to build.
Making the investment, whether that’s time, membership, or attendance, isn’t about optics. It’s about staying connected to the people and conversations that shape our industry. It’s also about belonging, being part of something larger than your individual role or your current employer.
If the cost to join an association or attend an event is a concern, start with what’s readily available. Check with your employer to understand which memberships you already have access to, then opt into their email lists to stay informed about upcoming opportunities. Many aviation groups, including regional associations, offer affordable and often free events, both virtual and in-person. I’ve found that some of the most valuable engagement happens simply by showing up, connecting, and listening.
That’s why my team and I continue to make time for industry involvement, even when calendars are full and travel is demanding. You’ll see us showing up throughout the year, because being present matters. Next month, I’ll be at the NBAA Regional Forum in Florida on February 25, learning, listening, and reconnecting with familiar faces, while also making space for new conversations.
Just as important as showing up is what happens next. A thoughtful follow-up, whether it’s a brief email or a handwritten note, sets you apart. It signals care, reinforces the connection, and helps keep you top of mind long after the event ends.
Staying connected isn’t about checking a box or following someone on social media. It’s about maintaining relationships and feeling a genuine sense of belonging in the industry we all rely on.
Over time, that kind of consistency quietly compounds, and it makes a meaningful difference.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by AIN Media Group.

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