Sponsored by Mid-Continent Instruments & Avionics
AEA Wired by Aircraft Electronics Association
April 13, 2016
Keeping the general aviation industry connected
The Current 
News from the general aviation industry
 
 
New AEA Insider tool offers Industry Professionals Resources to Vital Information
If you work for an Aircraft Electronics Association member company, everyone on your staff should be privy to the vital information and resources provided through the AEA's website, emails and newsletters. Become an AEA Insider and be sure you are fully connected to the general aviation industry. AEA Insider resources include access to the EEDirect marketplace for used avionics equipment and test equipment; online training; tech pubs with links to OEM service and installation manuals; warranty forms; regulatory updates; and Avionics News magazine. More... 


FAA Unveils Online ADS-B Equipment Database
The Federal Aviation Administration recently published its 2016 NextGen update, which provides an overview of where NextGen stands today, and where it's going in the years to come. As part of this update, the FAA posted an online ADS-B equipment database, which allows pilots and aircraft owners to learn what equipment has been FAA certified and other useful information. Simply enter the type of aircraft you have and a list of available equipment appears. More...
Sponsored by TGH Aviation Instruments & Avionics Regulatory Update
All the latest from the international aviation authorities

 
EASA/FAA Extend Form 8130-3 Traceability Mandates for New Parts
On Sept. 8, 2015, the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration signed Change 5 to the Maintenance Annex Guidance of the EU/FAA Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement mandating that all new aviation parts receive an approval via an FAA Form 8130-3.  On, April 1, 2016, the FAA sent its aviation safety inspectors notice of the delay via an email. 

To allow implementation of the privileges under 21.137(o) to the greatest extent possible, the FAA and the EASA agreed to extend the implementation deadline specified in FAA Notice 8900.336 from April 1, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2016. All other provisions of MAG CHG 5 remain in effect. 

For EASA 145 repair stations, with respect to parts received from a U.S.-based production approval holder, the requirement that those parts be accompanied by an FAA Form 8130-3 has been extended until Oct. 1, 2016.

Neither the FAA nor the EASA have published any formal guidance on the extension; however, guidance is expected in the next few weeks. Once published, the AEA will distribute the new guidance to all of its affected membership More...  

Sponsored by Pacific Southwest Instruments On the Radar 
Upcoming AEA and industry events


Civil Avionics International Forum: Shanghai, China, April 19-21
Approved by the China Association for Science and Technology, and organized by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the fifth annual CAIF will deliver the latest civil avionics industry layout in China, and discuss the avionics research and development trends, airworthiness certification and flight reliability.  More...


AEA International Convention & Trade Show: Orlando, Florida, April 27-30
The 59th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show is 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 the marketplace in 2016. Advance registration has closed but on-site registrations will be accepted at the AEA Registration Desk. More...

Garmin Ad for Wired The Connection
Meet the leaders in the general aviation industry


WAAS Avionique Hones Expertise
At WAAS Avionique in Québec City, Quebec, Canada, avionics technicians Dominic Cayouette and Catherine  Bourgie spend the morning installing wiring harnesses for the Garmin G950 flight deck in a Beechcraft 1900D. At least 1,100 feet of wires and cables now stretch end to end on the 19-passenger turboprop. 

"It's a big project," said Antonela Echagüe, office manager for WAAS Avionique. "We are the first Canadian company to install the G950 in a Beechcraft 1900D. It's an incredible update. There are a lot of Beechcraft aircraft in Canada that will need it." 

The new, all-glass cockpit features modern navigation, approach, weather and communications technologies, as well as reduces the empty weight of the aircraft by about 250 pounds. According to the supplemental type certificate, the project takes about 800 manhours of work, which WAAS Avionique has scheduled over four wee ks. It's the kind of project that the repair station's technicians love to tackle. More...

In the Classroom 
Professional development opportunities


New FAA Course -- Applying Systems Safety Principles to Product Certification: May 17-19 and Aug. 16-18
The intent of this three-day course is to focus on how systems engineers should apply concepts of system safety principles to the products they will certify. It will expand the approach systems engineers can take to build safety into the products they certify in the context of applying the rules and considering other safety-related factors that supplement FAA regulations. Attendees will include systems engineers, flight test pilots, propulsion engineers, and human factors engineers in headquarters, directorates, and COs. It is offered two times in Oklahoma City with limited seating available to industry. Contact Madeline Kettler at 405-954-7890 for registration information. More... 


Register Now Button Certified Repair Station Training Course: May 16-20
A weeklong course divided into training modules designed for startup repair stations as well as mature operations looking to improve their understanding of the regulations, perform internal audits and edit repair stations manuals. Who should attend?  Current quality managers, technicians, mechanics, and repairmen who are involved in the management of a repair station as well as individuals looking to establish a 14 CFR Part 145 repair station.   More...  


Register Now Button Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft Training Course: June 1-3
Presented by Pahan Ranasingha of Avionics Installations, this course is designed for the aircraft technician or homebuilder who is looking for guidance in completing an installation on an experimental aircraft with the popular Garmin G3X Touch large-format flight display system. From the do-it-yourselfer to the avionics shop looking to carve a niche in this ever-expanding market, this class has something for everyone.  More...

The Static
News from AEA member companies

 
STANDARDAERO  named SCOTT STARRETT president of military and energy and ALEX TRAPP senior vice president of business development.  In addition, the U.S. Air Force awarded StandardAero a contract to upgrade Rolls-Royce T56-A-15 engines powering its fleet of C-130H aircraft. 

DALLAS AVIONICS said it is now a distributor of Avion Power's Voyager Power Source. 

UNIVERSAL AVIONICS SYSTEMS CORP. welcomed Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to the company's corporate headquarters on March 31 in Tucson, Arizona. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. McCain is taking special interest in visiting with local aerospace and defense industry employers throughout Arizona. In addition, Universal announced successful testing of departure clearances using Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications with the FAA Tech Center. The company's Cessna Citation VII equipped for Future Air Navigation System 1/A+ completed the live test of the system in Louisville, Kentucky.

GLOBALSTAR was awarded an STC from the FAA for its Part 23 Light Aviation Aircraft Antenna. 

CLAY LACY AVIATION will be a partner for hardware sales and installations when the SMARTSKY NETWORKS 4G network takes flight later this year. Clay Lacy also will be the STC developer on four Gulfstream models: the G200, G-IV, G-IVSP and G-V.

DUNCAN AVIATION added an electronic logbook feature to its Web-based project management system, myDuncan. Customers are now able to view their logbook entries in real time, categorized by airframe or engine, while at the same time communicate directly with inspectors through the system. In addition, AUSTIN CHAMBERS was appointed Gulfstream/Embraer airframe service sales representative in Battle Creek, Michigan. Duncan also designed and fabricated a new airstair and entryway treatment for a Bombardier Global Express. 

ALTO AVIATION announced the expansion of its turboprop aircraft by delivering a premium ALTO Entertainment System to the SPIRIT AERONAUTICS facility in Columbus, Ohio, for installation in a Pilatus PC-12. 

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY said it will recruit its sixth president through an executive search process. DR. JOHN R. WATRETwho has served as interim president since June 2015, has decided to step down and will return to Embry-Riddle's senior administration. 

ROCKWELL COLLINS said that Azul Brazilian Airlines selected its avionics for 58 Airbus A320neo aircraft, and deliveries will begin in September. In addition, Airplan signed a multi-year contract to renew and expand the use of Rockwell Collins' ARINC airport solutions. The company will also provide fleet-wide international trip support services for Hong Kong based Metrojet. 

GENESYS AEROSYSTEMS received an FAA STC for the retrofit installation of its HeliSAS Stability Augmentation System and two-axis autopilot on Robinson R66 turbine helicopters. 

GULFSTREM AEROSPACE CORP. earned approval from the FAA to install mandated FANS 1/A+ avionics upgrades on GIV-SP aircraft. 

FLIGHTSTAR CORP. broke ground on a new 31,000-square-foot aircraft hangar and expects to be completed by late fall of 2016. The company also opened its doors on an expanded 4,300-square-foot interior fabrication shop.

FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL recently celebrated its 65th anniversary. The company was incorporated in New York on March 29, 1951. 

GARMIN introduced  the G5 electronic flight instrument for experimental amateur-built and light sport aircraft. It also introduced the GMA 245 and GMA 245R, all-digital, Bluetooth audio panels designed for EAB and LSA. In addition, Garmin announced new features and capabilities are now available within the GTN
650/750 touchscreen series for select helicopters on the market. New and existing customers can receive these features by contacting an authorized Garmin dealer.

NAVWORX entered into a licensing agreement with Garmin enabling connectivity to the company's GNS and GTN line of navigators. Under the agreement, NavWorx' ADS600-B will interface with existing certified position sources providing the required WAAS GPS to meet the FAA's mandate for ADS-B equipage. 

VECTOR AEROSPACE said it is assisting operators of Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6A turboprop engines reduce maintenance costs and increase aircraft investment value through the introduction of flat rate overhauls. 

PS ENGINEERING announced a lower cost for the PDA360EX audio panel, feature-packed with utility for the experimental amateur-built market. The new price for the PDA360EX is $1,595, with a minimum advertised price of $1,345. 

THOMAS GLOBAL SYSTEMS appointed ROBERT PANDIS vice president of business development. The company also signed  a distribution agreement with DAC INTERNATIONAL, a Greenwich AeroGroup company.  Under the agreement, DAC International will serve as a distributor of Thomas Global's range of plug-and-play CRT-to-LCD avionics display products. 

GULF COAST AVIONICS was appointed the exclusive provider of avionics installation and repair services for Leading Edge Aviation. 

AVIDYNE added four new people to its sales and marketing team: MITCH BIGGS vice president of sales and marketing; ED PAULSEN vice president of business development; STEVE GUBBINS manager of international aftermarket sales; and BRIAN OLIVER was promoted to manager of direct sales. The company also announced it is making synthetic vision accessible for all general aviation aircraft by making it available on every version of its growing line of IFD-Series GPS FMS systems. Avidyne also announced its new IFD100, an iPad-based application that mimics all the functionality of the IFD-Series GPS Flight Management Systems. 

APPAREO SYSTEMS lowered the MSRP of Stratus ESG from $3,490 to $2,995. 

BECKER AVIONICS named FORREST COLLIVER managing director. 

STEVENS AVIATION entered into a strategic partnership with Dallas Airmotive to deliver PW500 series engine overhaul services for Citation aircraft. 

ASPEN AVIONICS received an STC to interface its Evolution Primary and Multi-function displays with Garmin's GDL 88 dual-band ADS-B datalink transceiver. Additionally, the interface to Aspen displays from the Garmin GTX 345 ADS-B datalink transponder is expected to be available by the end of 2016. 

FREEFLIGHT SYSTEMS  secured a letter of authorization to equip the existing Flight Design USA fleet with the company's certified RANGR ADS-B system. F reeFlight Systems and Flight Design USA worked together to design an installation package that will provide complete ADS-B compliance for the 400+ Flight Design USA aircraft that are currently flying in the U.S. In addition, the company is now accepting orders for its 2301 NextGen GPS flight management system. Finally, the company announced today that Michigan based Kalitta Air has selected the FreeFlight 1203C SBAS/GNSS sensor for retrofit into its Boeing 747 series of aircraft as part of its ADS­-B compliance program. 

BANYAN AIR SERVICE  completed its first Challenger 604 FANS-1A installation. This is the first installation of FANS 1-A in the southeast region of the U.S. using the Rockwell Collins STC, released in September of 2015, for the Challenger 604. 

L-3 COMMUNICATIONS announced that its president and chief operating officer, CHRISTOPHER E. KUBASIK, was elected to the Board of Governors of The Wings Club Foundation. 

COBHAM AVCOMM said that the Distance Measuring Equipment Test Option for the recently released ATC-5000NG NextGen Transponder Test Set is now ready for delivery on new test set orders. Fielded units can be upgraded to include the new DME option. 

GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP. announced that its fleet in Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan) has grown to more than 165 aircraft and makes up more than half of the Asia-Pacific fleet, the company's largest internationally. 

ASTRONICS CORP. said its Luminescent Systems Inc. subsidiary has been selected by Diehl Aerospace GmbH to design, develop and supply the emergency lights for the Embraer E2 program, the latest generation regional aircraft of the Brazilian manufacturer. 

JET AVIATION ST. LOUIS earned certification from the Mexican civil air authority as a repair station AMO for aircraft registered in Mexico. 

INTERTRADE signed an agreement with L-3 Aviation Products to be a global reseller and distributor of select factory-new L-3 equipment. 

COBHAM SATCOM  and Boeing signed a Technical Service Agreement for the certification of the AVIATOR 600S and 700S systems on the Boeing 777 and 737 airplanes. 

VALAIR AVIATION named NIC HAWKER director of maintenance and MICHAEL DUSSAULT manager of compliance and continuous improvement. 

GOGO announced new hourly pricing plans for turboprop and light jet operators, making connectivity affordable and predicable for airframes of all types. 
As of 3-9-2016 Mystery Make & Model
Guess the make and model -- enter for chance to win $100 Visa gift card


Click to enlarge
Congratulations to Richard Kurtz of Megahertz Avionics, who won a $100 Visa gift card, courtesy of Southeast Aerospace, for knowing the correct product make and model featured in the previous issue of AEA Wired. 

The correct answer was a King KNI-500L indicator.

Avionics technicians can put their "inside" knowledge to work in the next issue of AEA Wired. Stay tuned for the next Mystery Make & Model challenge!  

Sponsored by AVWeb GA Caucus

Industry advocates on Capitol Hill

 


In 2009, General Aviation Caucuses were formed in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate to inform congressional members and staff about the importance of general aviation to the nation's economy and transportation system. Today, the House GA Caucus has grown to become one of the largest caucuses in the House of Representatives. A listing of current House and Senate GA Caucus members is available on the AEA website. More... 

 

Aircraft Electronics Association
About the AEA
Founded in 1957, the Aircraft Electronics Association represents nearly 1,300 member companies in 43 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: [email protected]
Web: aea.net 
Advertising:
Lauren McFarland, director of marketing
Phone: 816-347-8400
Email: [email protected]

The "AEA Wired" e-newsletter is published twice a month by the AEA.