Aircraft Electronics Association

An AEA member company since 1981, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics unveiled a new product today. The Flex MD23 Series is a custom display controller and data converter. Here's what you need to know! #AEA #avionics #technology

Meet Aviation Ace Matt Harrah, senior vice president of technology and products with Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics -- Story by Christine Knauer in Avionics News at https://bit.ly/3s9MM5j. A seasoned pilot, U.S. Marine and industry expert with two decades in aviation, Harrah has translated his experience in the cockpit and in the military into helping aviation companies serve their customers and grow their businesses. It’s a challenging task considering the industry’s... diverse markets and how quickly technology is evolving. The improvements in capability and safety in the past 20 years have been so rapid, Harrah said. It has changed not only in the technology but what it means to pilots in terms of skill. Now, as a pilot you have to be able to manage systems in ways you didn’t in 1995. This includes more capable navigation systems and procedures and decision-making based on the myriad of data that is coming into the cockpit displays. #AEA #avionics #technology

Pro Star Aviation: Garage-band avionics shop grows big (story by Dave Hughes in Avionics News at https://bit.ly/3aBWCqR) Pro Star Aviation LLC was born in Paul Taylor’s house in New Hampshire in 1997 with offices in the basement and all the equipment needed to run an avionics repair shop in the garage. The business started in a garage, as did many Silicon Valley startups. Taylor, Kevin Harriman and Bernd Munzenmayer had all worked together at an established avionics repair s...hop in New Hampshire. But that company had been taken over by a freight hauling company, and the three men thought the new management’s inexperience in corporate aviation was taking them down the wrong path. Harriman is now the managing partner and leads the operations team at Pro Star in Londonderry, New Hampshire. He got his start as an avionics technician in the U.S. Air Force and worked at Lockheed California Company on the P-3 modification team before going to work for Stead Aviation in New Hampshire. Henry Laughlin also helped start Pro Star and is the majority owner. He owned another Part 145 repair station in 1988, and Pro Star initially worked under that repair station certificate. Read more about this AEA member company in this month's edition of Avionics News! #AEA #avionics #technology

It has been a rough week for the AEA and the avionics community as we mourn the loss of another industry professional. Ron Hall, who retired from Duncan Aviation in 2007 and was named the AEA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2011, passed away at the age of 79. Hall grew up in the small town of Winfield, Kansas, about 45 miles southeast of Wichita. It was there that Hall was introduced to the basics of electricity and electronics. As a young teenager, Hall and several o...f his friends connected with a local ham radio group. They participated in field days, antenna raisings and studied for their general licenses. They also became cadets in the Civil Air Patrol. Hall experienced his first flight at age 16, when the Air Force flew several cadets in an old, noisy cargo aircraft from Wichita to Salina, Kansas, for a two-week summer camp. After graduating from high school, Hall attended the local junior college, and later began working toward an engineering degree at Wichita State University. In January 1962, Hall enlisted in the United States Air Force. After basic training, Hall was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was there that his fundamental electronics knowledge was upgraded to aircraft navigation repair. Later in 1962, Hall was transferred to Lincoln, Nebraska, and the 307th A&E squadron. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Lincoln had two B-47 squadrons, and his group of new trainees became top-notch aircraft radio repairmen. Following his release, Hall returned to Wichita and went to work for Learjet, where he met Bill Lear. Soon, Hall transferred to a new Learjet maintenance facility opening in Lincoln with a new avionics shop. In 1968, American Learjet changed ownership and became what is known today as Duncan Aviation. Hall’s career flourished from 1968 until his retirement in 2007 at Duncan Aviation. He served stints as shop manager, installation shop manager and engineering supervisor, avionics sales and APU sales director. Hall attended his first AEA Convention in Kansas City in 1970, where he met AEA’s founder, Chuck Peacock. Attending the AEA Convention became an annual event for Hall, and he forged new relationships with several AEA members throughout his career. Duncan Aviation hosted several AEA Regional Meetings, and Hall served on the AEA board of directors from 1980 through 1999. In 1985, he was named the recipient of the AEA Member of the Year Award. Hall and his wife, Phyllis, have three children: Allen, Douglas and Gretchen; along with several grandchildren. #AEA #avionics #technology

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Michael (Mike) J. O’Leary, who died Feb. 14 at the age of 69 following complications from COVID-19. O’Leary worked for numerous AEA member companies during a distinguished career that spanned more than 50 years. He served on the AEA’s board of directors from 1996 to 2009 and was chairman from 2002 to 2009, making him the longest-serving chairman in the organization’s history. O’Leary also served as the board’s secretary and vice chai...rman during his tenure, and his leadership was instrumental in guiding the association’s move to its state-of-the-art international headquarters with a world-class training center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. In 1998, he was named the AEA Member of the Year. O’Leary retired in June 2020 from Elliott Aviation and moved to Arizona to enjoy the weather and be closer to family. Born and raised on a farm in northwest Iowa about 9 miles north of Emmetsburg, O’Leary learned at an early age how to handle machinery and work the land. Upon graduation from Emmetsburg High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17. He did two tours of duty in Vietnam as a torpedo man on a destroyer, the USS Towers. After his military service, O’Leary followed his father’s passion for aviation and took up flying. He earned his pilot’s license, A&P mechanic license, became an avionics installer, and earned several pilot ratings (private; commercial; instrument; multiengine; instructor). He also logged thousands of hours of flight time. O’Leary enjoyed his chosen profession in aviation, and his career was a central part of his life. He loved airplanes and working with people. O’Leary was the consummate professional and was truly an expert in his field and a perfectionist when it came to his work. He made countless special friends as his aviation career took him to many different cities living and traveling extensively across the U.S. He was an engaging, charming conversationalist and a great storyteller and always up for a good joke. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Patricia (Patty); daughter, Jennifer, and her husband, David Courtney; sister, Maureen; nephew, James, and his wife, Elise; plus many cousins and other family members and countless friends. He was predeceased by his parents, William (Bill) and Virginia (Ginny) O’Leary. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Gary Hutchinson Memorial Chapter 1028 of the Vietnam Veterans of America or the Emmetsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2295. A celebration of life is being planned by the immediate family and is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona. More details will be provided at a later date. #AEA #avionics #technology

Do you have your free copy of this year's AEA Pilot’s Guide? With frigid temperatures in most of North America, it's a great time to read by the fireplace in your spare time. Individuals residing in the United States may request a free copy while supplies last at www.aeapilotsguide.net. The AEA Pilot's Guide is a consumer’s directory loaded with educational articles, timely information and data about the ever-changing world of avionics technologies. In addition to a complete directory of AEA-member government-certified repair stations, avionics manufacturers and distributors located in more than 40 countries, the publication features educational articles to help pilots and aircraft owners make better buying decisions. #AEA #avionics #technology

Is your avionics business hiring? AEA members can post job openings for FREE with a member login and password at www.AEA.net/Jobs. #AEA #avionics #technology

Early-bird registration has opened for the 64th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show, the largest gathering of general aviation avionics manufacturers, distributors and government-certified repair stations in the world. It is the platform of choice for the introduction of new avionics products and services coming to market in 2021. The event takes place March 15-18, 2021, in Dallas, Texas. Attendees must register at www.AEA.net/Convention by Dec. 31, 2020, to receive the early-bird discount price of $675 (AEA member rate) for a full convention registration. The early-bird promotion offers a $180 per person savings off the on-site registration fee. Those attendees who chose to roll over their registration from 2020 received a confirmation email and do not need to register again. #AEA #AEA21 #avionics #technology

The AEA recently joined a broad coalition to express "profound concern over the Federal Communications Commission’s flawed Ligado Order that, if left in place, would upend decades of sound spectrum policy, negatively impact a significant cross-section of commercial, federal, and academic users who rely on the many different L-band satellite services, and threaten the safety of most Americans." Nearly 80 organizations, including representatives from aviation, aerospace, agricu...lture, first responders, ground transportation, marine, surveying, GPS, and satellite industries, wrote to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to "respectfully request your Committee’s assistance in ensuring that the Commission reconsider its decision to allow a harmful terrestrial network to be built using L-band spectrum." https://aea.net/newsitem.asp?ID=4018 #AEA #avionics #technology

The November issue of Avionics News is here for your reading pleasure. Check out the digital edition online at https://bit.ly/3oMfUi3. #AEA #avionics #technology

Going once, going twice ... Today is your final opportunity to place bids on a variety of items featured at the AEA Educational Foundation's silent auction. Be sure to make your final bids on gadgets, goodies and high-tech toys before 10 p.m. CDT tonight at https://www.32auctions.com/aea! The annual silent auction is the single-largest fundraising activity for the AEA Educational Foundation and helps support a variety of outreach and education efforts to attract and train the next generation of avionics technology experts. Since 1990, the AEA Educational Foundation has administered scholarships for avionics and aircraft maintenance technicians and provided industry-leading technical training for AEA members. #AEA #avionics #technology

There are only two days remaining to place your bids on items featured at the AEA Educational Foundation's silent auction. Final bids on gadgets, goodies and high-tech toys are due before 10 p.m. CDT on Friday, October 30, at https://www.32auctions.com/aea. The annual silent auction is the single-largest fundraising activity for the AEA Educational Foundation and helps support a variety of outreach and education efforts to attract and train the next generation of avionics technology experts. Since 1990, the AEA Educational Foundation has administered scholarships for avionics and aircraft maintenance technicians and provided industry-leading technical training for AEA members. #AEA #avionics #technology

Here is today's edition of AEA Wired, which captures all the latest industry news for avionics professionals in one convenient location. Happy reading at https://conta.cc/2TtPwey. #AEA #avionics #technology

310 New eVTOL Air Vehicles ... And Counting (Avionics News story by Dave Hughes at https://bit.ly/2G295az) There are as many as 310 electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in development to carry passengers or air cargo, including some in flight test and others in a concept stage in the race to provide urban or advanced air mobility.... The list of 310 compiled by the Vertical Flight Society includes some in prototype and others in concept stage and a few that have already dropped out of the race. Meanwhile, 60 have joined the hunt since January despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are already being flown for certification and testing, but huge hurdles remain for entering service. Not the least of these challenges in big cities is adding the vertiports on the top of skyscrapers needed to allow air taxis to operate from a network of facilities. And who, for that matter, will pay for the vertiports and who will handle the liability insurance? Some experts believe that operators won’t crack the big-city passenger markets first. Air cargo faces fewer obstacles, and production model air vehicles are in the works.

Carolina GSE delivers, services jacks, tugs, power units and more. Check out this AEA member profile in Avionics News by Christine Knauer at https://bit.ly/3mm5rIb. If you need ground support equipment such as jacks and tugs, ground power units and test equipment, hydraulics and weight scales, Carolina GSE has it all. Once you have what you need, the staff can also troubleshoot, repair and overhaul your equipment and see to it that you have the proper spare parts. Headquarte...red in Greenville, North Carolina, Carolina GSE serves a broad customer base, including private aircraft owners, corporate flight departments, fixed-base operators, repair stations, military services and commercial airlines. The company handles customer service and support in Greenville, equipment and parts distribution from its center in Chicago, Illinois, and equipment repair and parts distribution from New Bern, North Carolina. #AEA #avionics #technology Carolina GSE

Only 1 week left to place your bids in the AEA Educational Foundation silent auction. Bid by 10 p.m. CDT, Friday, October 30, at https://www.32auctions.com/aea. The annual silent auction is the single-largest fundraising activity for the AEA Educational Foundation and helps support a variety of outreach and education efforts to attract and train the next generation of avionics technology experts. Since 1990, the AEA Educational Foundation has administered scholarships for avionics and aircraft maintenance technicians and provided industry-leading technical training for AEA members. #AEA #avionics #technology

The future is bright for eVTOL and UAM! While the aviation industry as a whole is deeply impacted by the COVID-19 global crisis, the fledgling segment of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft manufacturing and urban air mobility companies are striving to progress toward mid-decade aircraft certification and operational goals. Read the full story by Lindsey McFarren in this month's Avionics News at https://bit.ly/2TjADv3). #AEA #avionics #technology

Day 2 is underway at our AEA Central Connect Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Began the day with a session on "Training the New Era of Technicians" and will have technical training sessions from Avidyne and Garmin Aviation. Thanks to everyone who attended, and we look forward to seeing aviation's technology experts next spring in Dallas at the 64th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show! #AEA #avionics #technology

We are underway here in Kansas City, Missouri, for the #AEA Central Connect Conference! Shop owners and technicians are learning about certification, installation and configuration of the latest products from leading avionics, instrument and test equipment manufacturers over the next two days. Welcome to all guests in attendance! #AEA #avionics #technology

Looking for a career in avionics? New job opportunities have just been posted on the jobs board at www.AEA.net/jobs #avionics #technology #AEA