July 31, 2019

Keeping the general aviation industry connected

U.S. Senate Confirms Steve Dickson as FAA Administrator By a vote of 52-40 along party lines, the U.S. Senate voted on July 24 to confirm Steve Dickson as the new administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration for a term of five years. Dickson recently retired from Delta Air Lines as the senior vice president of flight operations after a 27-year career with the airline, where he flew five different aircraft types, and was in charge of training, technical support and regulatory compliance. Dickson is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and served as an F-15 pilot. He will oversee a $16.4 billion budget and more than 47,000 employees. Dickson replaces Dan Elwell, who has served as acting administrator since January 2018. The Congress also passed a waiver to allow Elwell to return to his post as FAA deputy administrator. The waiver was necessary due to a law that prohibits both the administrator and deputy administrator to be former active-duty military personnel. Both Dickson and Elwell are former military officers. More...

Inhofe, King Introduce PLANE Act to Enable the Next Era of Aviation On July 23, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), introduced the Promoting the Launch of Aviation’s Next Era (PLANE) Act of 2019. According to the senators, this bipartisan legislation would empower the voices of pilots, invest in airport infrastructure and ensure more opportunities for a trained aviation workforce. “The PLANE Act truly sets a positive path for the future of the aviation industry,” Inhofe said. “This legislation enhances legal protections for pilots that must contend with the federal bureaucracy, requires additional transparency when FAA makes decisions impacting aviation stakeholders and promotes investment at general aviation airports — the backbone of our national aviation system. It would also secure the future of aviation by ensuring the air traffic controllers and FAA designees our aviation community depends on have access to needed opportunities for training and development." More...

Peggy Chabrian to Retire as WAI President During her annual remarks at the WAI Connect Breakfast EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Dr. Peggy Chabrian announced her intention to retire as president and chief executive officer of Women in Aviation International effective April 2020. This year has marked a number of important milestones for the organization, including an all-time record of 14,000 members, and a total of $948,000 scholarships awarded with a cumulative total reaching $12.5 million. “The organization is in an excellent place with record accomplishments in all areas including membership numbers, scholarship awards, and a solid financial position,” Chabrian said. “It has been a pleasure to have established the WAI annual conferences 30 years ago, to create the organization 25 years ago, and to serve as its president since its inception in 1994. My commitment is to engage in continued fundraising and public relations for WAI through next year’s conference, March 5-7, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista Florida, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, up through April 2020 and to ensure a smooth transition once a new individual has been hired.”  More...

FAA Approves AEA Petition to Accept ASTM Process for Evaluating Alterations Upon publication of ASTM standard F3361, Classifying Alterations for In-Service Aircraft Under FAA Authority Oversight, the Aircraft Electronics Association petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to recognize it as an acceptable means of compliance for the evaluation of alterations while making a determination of major or minor. As an FAA-recognized AMC, this document is essentially the same as if it was published as an advisory circular. The AEA will be conducting training on this new ASTM standard at each of the AEA Connect Conferences in the United States and Canada. In addition, AEA members attending the AEA Connect Conferences will receive a copy of this ASTM standard. More...

Transport Canada Publishes New Rules for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems At the beginning of 2019, the TCCA published new regulations for remotely piloted aircraft systems. Unless you are in this community, it happened quietly and can be found with the rest of the CARs. RPAS regulations are covered in Part IX of the CARs. This is the next step in the TCCA’s plan to develop new rules and integrate RPAS operations.  Most of the new regulations cover RPAS under 25 kilograms and include maintenance, operation and pilot licensing requirements. However, there are provisions to allow larger remotely piloted aircraft that can operate at relatively high altitudes. This may only be done by obtaining a special operating certificate, and in most cases, is limited to very restricted areas. More...

On the Radar: Upcoming Industry Events

Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition Sao Paulo, Brazil Aug. 13-15, 2019 LABACE is the largest business aviation event in Latin America and takes place at the Congonhas Airport. More...

AEA Technology Incubator Lee's Summit, Missouri Aug. 28, 2019 The AEA Technology Incubator is designed to demystify the path forward to producing parts for certified aircraft with a focus on producing these parts under the FAA oversight. Due to space limitations, attending companies are limited to two participants. More...

AEA Canada Connect Conference Toronto, Ontario Sept. 9-10, 2019 Online registration is available through Sept. 4. Hotel reservations should be made at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites by Aug. 7. More...

AEA U.S. West Connect Conference Reno, Nevada Sept. 23-24, 2019 Online registration is available through Sept. 18. Hotel reservations should be made at the Nugget Casino Resort by Sept. 9. More...

AEA U.S. Central Connect Conference Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 2-3, 2019 Online registration is available through Sept. 25. Hotel reservations should be made at the Hilton Kansas City Airport by Sept. 10. More...

NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition Las Vegas, Nevada Oct. 22-24, 2019 NBAA-BACE will bring together more than 23,000 attendees for the largest business aviation event in the world. If you are an aircraft owner or considering using an aircraft for business; flight department personnel; a manufacturer or service provider; or a student considering this career path, experience three exciting days in Las Vegas. More...

AEA U.S. East Connect Conference Daytona Beach, Florida Nov. 4-5, 2019 Online registration is available through Oct. 29. Hotel reservations should be made at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront by Oct. 2. More...

AEA South Pacific Connect Conference Adelaide, Australia Nov. 18-19, 2019 Online registration is available through Nov. 8. Hotel reservations should be made at the Hilton Adelaide Hotel by Oct. 17. More...

AEA International Convention & Trade Show Nashville, Tennessee March 24-27, 2020 Aviation's technology experts will convene at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel for the 63rd annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show, the largest gathering of general aviation avionics manufacturers, distributors and government-certified repair stations in the world. Avionics professionals will have access to more than 100 hours of technical training and professional development courses. More...

Crash Landing Inspires Richard Snider to Open Aerosecure Avionics World War II Army General George Marshall, who became secretary of state and secretary of defense under President Harry Truman, knew success requires sacrifice. In 1941, he told Officer Candidate School graduates, “The truly great leader overcomes all difficulties, and campaigns and battles are nothing but a long series of difficulties to be overcome. The lack of equipment, the lack of food, the lack of this or that are only excuses; the real leader displays his quality in his triumphs over adversity, however great it may be.” Army avionics tech and Apache attack helicopter pilot Richard Snider wasn’t thinking about that before crash landing his Lancair Super ES on an Arizona mountain top Sept. 1, 2015. However, everything General Marshall said embodied Snider’s philosophy and character, both of which were about to be tested in very real ways. More...

Avionics Training and Professional Development Classes Register quickly, as most classes sell out!

Basic Wiring & Avionics Installation (This Class is Sold-Out!) Aug. 5-7, 2019 Lee's Summit, Missouri This course is designed for certificated repairmen, new avionics technicians, aviation maintenance technicians and recent graduates interested in improving or acquiring the skills necessary to perform avionics installations. This three-day seminar employs in-depth theory and hands-on lab exercises to immerse the attendee in the best practices used to plan, manage and install a general aviation avionics panel.

ADS-B 2.0 Configuration, Testing & Troubleshooting Aug. 8, 2019 Lee's Summit, Missouri This updated version of the “ADS-B: All the Ins and Outs” course is designed for currently employed repair station personnel and installers of ADS-B systems. Approximately 7% of all general aviation ADS-B installations are non-compliant based on the FAA’s ADS-B Performance Monitoring System. This course focuses on the proper configuration and testing of ADS-B installations to ensure your installation meets the performance requirements and regulations. Also included are troubleshooting tips and tricks that will help you resolve the common problems found in ADS-B installations.

Digital Databus Theory & Analysis Training Aug. 9, 2019 Lee's Summit, Missouri As today’s modern airplanes become much more technologically advanced, so must the professionals who maintain them. The advanced avionics and instrumentation systems used in these aircraft rely on various forms of digital databus communication. Understanding digital databus theory is becoming more and more important for avionics technicians, and even A&P mechanics, to effectively test and troubleshoot these highly advanced aircraft systems.

Avionics Installation and Integration Training (This Class is Sold-Out!) Aug. 19-21, 2019 Lee's Summit, Missouri This course is designed for technicians who have completed the AEA’s Basic Wiring & Avionics Installation Course and/or have a couple years of basic avionics installation practice and are looking for more experience integrating common general aviation installations. Technicians will learn how to plan, install, interface, configure and check out an installation consisting of a Garmin GTN 650 touch screen nav/comm/GPS, Garmin GTX 345 transponder and an Aspen EFD1000 primary flight display.

Pitot-Static & Transponder Testing and Inspection with ADS-B Implementation Aug. 22, 2019 Lee's Summit, Missouri Attendees will learn the proper methods for conducting pitot-static and transponder tests and inspections. This full-day course offers hands-on training, including a regulatory review and an explanation of the proper administrative procedures for completing these critical certifications. With so many questions surrounding ADS-B, this course will provide the answers and what you need to know to meet the mandate.

RVSM Maintenance Aug. 23, 2019 Lee's Summit, Missouri Attendees will be introduced to the regulations, documentation, test equipment and maintenance practices associated with performing RVSM maintenance. This course assumes the attendee has good operating knowledge of Federal Aviation Regulations 91.411 and 91.413.

The Regulations of Maintenance Sept. 19-20, 2019 San Diego, California Held in conjunction with the University of Kansas Aerospace Short Course Program Understanding the regulations of the repair station is only part of the equation. Like pieces of a puzzle, each regulation is needed to fit together in order to fully view the repair station’s requirements. Understanding the regulatory relationship between the business (Part 145); the maintenance it performs (Part 43); the parts it uses (Part 21); as well as the needs of customers (Part 91) are essential to provide regulatory compliant services in aviation maintenance. This session will cover the basics of the maintenance and modification regulations, but more importantly, it focuses on their integrated relationship with the business.

$100 Mystery Make and Model Challenge Congratulations to Gerald L. Ferriss with Home Depot Aviation, who won a $100 Visa gift card, courtesy of Southeast Aerospace, for submitting the correct answer in this month's Mystery Make and Model challenge featured in the previous issue of AEA Wired. The unit is a King 500L. Avionics technicians can put their "inside" knowledge to work in the next issue of AEA Wired. Stay tuned for the next Mystery Make and Model challenge!

News from AEA Member Companies

Garmin introduced the GNC 355 – a GPS navigator with LPV approach guidance, complete with a built-in comm radio. Garmin also unveiled the addition of new features and enhancements to the G5 electronic flight instrument for certified and experimental aircraft, including the display of outside air temperature, true airspeed, winds and more. New wireless engine data streaming, flight data logging and new display configurations are also new to the G3X Touch flight display for experimental aircraft. Garmin also will soon receive FAA supplemental type certification for the GFC 500 autopilot in the Cessna 182RG. Additionally, FAA STC approval is imminent for the GFC 600 autopilot in the Piper PA-46 310P/350P JetPROP and Socata TBM 700/850. Honeywell acquired privately held TruTrak Flight Systems, a leader in autopilots for experimental, light-sport and certified aircraft. The acquisition will become part of Honeywell’s BendixKing business, helping to deliver affordable technologies to the experimental and general aviation markets. BendixKing launched a new cockpit retrofit, modification and upgrade program for over 6,000 Cessna single-engine piston aircraft. The program replaces legacy avionics with advanced upgrades to help Cessna operators modernize their aircraft. BendixKing also will install its xVue Touch Integrated Flight Deck onto Pipistrel’s Alpha King training aircraft, which is available with deliveries expected later this year. BendixKing also received STCs for its AeroVue Touch, AeroFlight, and AeroCruze 230, allowing all three products to be installed in certified, general aviation aircraft.  Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics is now an approved Trig dealer. Mid-Continent was named Trig’s exclusive North American service center in 2013 and has been providing Trig customers with technical support and repair services for more than six years.  True Blue Power introduced its fifth-generation main-ship batteries to attendees at AirVenture Oshkosh. The ultra-lightweight, TB20, TB30 and TB40 are the company's first on-condition, lithium-ion engine-start batteries. Millennium International Avionics named Todd Slater as the new business development director, where he will be responsible for developing sales and service channels for the commercial air transport and corporate aviation divisions, along with third-party support.

Cobham announced on July 25 that Advent International Corp. intends to make a recommended all-cash offer to acquire Cobham. Genesys Aerosystems announced that its Electronic Flight Instrument System has successfully completed military standard qualification. The system, including the IDU-680 smart displays, ADAHRS, and GPS receiver, demonstrated it meets the requirements outlined in MIL-STD 704D for electrical and MIL-STD 810 for environmental conditions. TQ - Systems USA Inc. is entering the general aviation market in North America and introduced two initial products at AirVenture: the KTX2 ADS-B transponder – for which the FAA certification process is complete, and AML STC is expected in early August on over 500 aircraft models – and the KRT2 Transceiver, which is already FAA certified. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has outfitted an industry-leading 300th aircraft with Jet ConneX, the revolutionary in-flight broadband service. Gulfstream also announced the all-new Gulfstream G500 has earned the 2019 Flying Innovation Award from Flying magazine to the most innovative product to have reached the general aviation market in the previous year. Sandia Aerospace introduced the SI-11X Electronic Course Deviation Indicator, a panel-mounted device that displays lateral and vertical needles from a typical navigation receiver or GPS navigator. The noncertified SI-11X CDI is intended for the experimental aircraft market. Nin George, Global Parts vice president of quality and performance excellence, received the annual Edward J. Glueckler Award during the 2019 ASA AFRA Annual Conference. PIC Wire & Cable, a division of The Angelus Corp., announced the launch of its new CAT7 Ethernet DataMATES cables. PIC's CAT7 cables deliver 10G data performance in rugged environments that require low loss interconnect solutions that are also lightweight and flexible.  Boeing introduced a new digital application, Jeppesen Mobile QuickClear. It was created in partnership with Airside Mobile for encryption and data management services and simplifies the international clearance process with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for pilots.

Dynon Certified – a division of Dynon Avionics – announced an expansion of the AML for its SkyView HDX line of products. Dynon’s full suite of certified avionics is now approved for nearly 600 type certificated piston single-engine aircraft. uAvionix announced it is developing and testing skyBeacon X, a wingtip-mounted 1090 MHz Mode S ADS-B Out transponder designed to meet the update rate performance required when used in conjunction with the Aireon satellite-based global ADS-B air traffic surveillance system. Astronautics Corporation of America’s AFI4700 RoadRunner Electronic Flight Instrument has received a supplemental type certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency for A109/119 helicopters. ACR ARTEX's ELT Pilot Kit was unveiled at AirVenture, which provides aviators with one convenient kit to outfit their aircraft with the latest in 406 MHz survival technology including the ELT 345 Emergency Locator Transmitter along with new ResQLink 400 Personal Locator Beacon and key survival gear to provide a redundant system to alert search and rescue of their location.  West Star Aviation now offers Winglet Technology's winglet installation for the Citation Sovereign model at its Grand Junction, Colorado, facility. Larry Marler was named technical sales manager at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, location. West Star Aviation also is hosting two hiring open houses at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, location, Aug. 2 and Aug. 16. FlightSafety International announced that Michael Burger was promoted to manager of the company’s Learning Center in Teterboro, New Jersey. Duncan Aviation announced that one of its pilots, David Moll, has earned The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the FAA. Avmax recently leased one Dash 8-Q314 msn 443 to JSC Yakutia Airlines of Russia.

Astronics Corp. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Astronics Connectivity Systems and Certifications, has moved its operations to a new office and manufacturing facility in Waukegan, Illinois.  Gulf Coast Avionics is donating avionics and other products for an ADS-B compliant upgrade for the Commemorative Air Force’s iconic B-29 Superfortress, “FIFI.” Gulf Coast Avionics also is donating avionics and engineering services to the Commemorative Air Force’s L-26B Aero Commander aircraft. Known as “Ike’s Bird,” it is the last flying piston-twin to serve as Air Force One. SmartSky Networks received its 130th patent supporting the development of its advanced air-to-ground network. Titled, “Architecture for Simultaneous Spectrum Usage by Air-to-Ground and Terrestrial Networks,” SmartSky’s latest patent is part of an exclusive rights portfolio at the core of its ATG technology. StandardAero and Robertson Fuel Systems recently delivered two of their AS350/EC130 crash-resistant fuel tanks to Hangar One Avionics, which will soon be installed on the Oklahoma City Police Department’s AS350 B3e (H125) helicopters. StandardAero also completed its first U.S-registered Learjet 45 Honeywell Primus Elite installation at its MRO facility in Augusta Georgia facility, using JetCity’s FAA-approved STC. Van Bortel Aircraft announced the expansion of its aircraft financing to include the first $0 down 25-year financing for low-time Cessna Aircraft. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University plans to replace many of its existing aircraft with at least 60 new Cessna Skyhawks from Textron Aviation Inc., as well as four new Diamond DA42-VI aircraft from Diamond Aircraft Industries. The University of North Dakota received a contract of just over $1 million to conduct research on behalf of the Naval Surface Warfare Center in an effort to improve the understanding of thunderstorms. Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will host a multi-city conversation on aviation maintenance careers Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. at its main campus in Pittsburgh, as well as in Myrtle Beach, Youngstown and Hagerstown.  Avotek now offers a new edition of the industry textbook, Advanced Composites. Cindy Foreman wrote this book to help students become the next generation of aircraft technicians by teaching them about composites and their repair. The fourth edition is available for order now.

Looking for a Job in the Avionics Industry? For individuals interested in pursuing professional opportunities in the avionics industry, the job listings page on the AEA website is your one-stop resource. The AEA jobs board provides informational links on how to get AET certified, an avionics technician job summary and wage review, along with scholarship opportunities within the industry. Search the AEA's job listings and see what's on your horizon. Are you up to the challenge? More...

Need to Post a Job? The AEA Works for You! Is your business hiring? Looking for a new avionics technician or A&P mechanic? Want to buy or sell a business in the general aviation industry? Post these professional opportunities to a target-rich environment: the AEA jobs board. For more information, contact Rachel Hill, AEA advertising executive, at rachelh@aea.net.

About the AEA Founded in 1957, the Aircraft Electronics Association represents nearly 1,300 member companies in more than 40 countries, including government-certified international repair stations specializing in maintenance, repair and installation of avionics and electronic systems in general aviation aircraft. The AEA membership also includes manufacturers of avionics equipment, instrument repair facilities, instrument manufacturers, airframe manufacturers, test equipment manufacturers, major distributors, engineers and educational institutions.

Contact: Aircraft Electronics Association 3570 NE Ralph Powell Road Lee's Summit, MO 64064 Phone: 816-347-8400 Fax: 816-347-8405 Email:  info@aea.net Web:  aea.net

Advertising: Rachel Hill, AEA advertising executive Phone: 816-366-5109 Email:  rachelh@aea.net Subscribe to "AEA Wired"   The "AEA Wired" e-newsletter is published twice a month by the AEA.

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌