The Aircraft Electronics Association released its third-quarter 2021 Avionics Market Report. In the first nine months of the year, total worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales amounted to $1,761,553,466.94, or more than $1.7 billion as reported by the participating companies.

The figure represented a 5.4% increase in total sales compared to the first nine months of 2020. It also represented a 1.8% increase in sales sequentially from the second quarter of 2021 and marked the fifth consecutive quarter of increasing sales. This report also reflects adjusted second-quarter numbers from the participating companies. During the third-quarter months of July, August and September, sales increased 15.8% compared to the same time frame one year ago.

"We are encouraged that this report indicates industry sales are continuing an upward trend despite the lingering pandemic and changing market forces," said AEA President and CEO Mike Adamson. "Although industry has seen robust sales during some unprecedented times, there are still challenges with the supply chain and workforce to work through as we close out the year and look ahead to 2022.” More...

On Nov. 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation re-opened the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection program application process one last time. It will end Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 (at precisely 7:59 p.m. Eastern time). For this final round of applications, DOT will process applications in the order received.

DOT has decided to reopen the application process because of continued questions about the relationship between the AMJP and the Employee Retention Tax Credit programs. Although the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorized the continuation of ERTCs beyond July 1, 2021, it did so through a separate statutory provision, rather than extending the original provision under the CARES Act. Therefore, ERTCs accrued after July 1, 2021, do not affect DOT’s ability to award an AMJP agreement to an otherwise eligible applicant.

All other requirements remain the same, including the requirement to have an active registration in the System for Award Management before submitting an AMJP application. More...

Applications are now being accepted for AEA members interested in running for a position on the AEA board of directors. To apply, your company must be an AEA member in good standing, and you must complete an application form by Dec. 17, 2021.

The applications are reviewed by the AEA Trusteeship Committee, which assembles a final slate of nominees for a vote before the full membership. The slate is assembled based on applicant experience, expertise, and areas of need for the AEA board.

A director’s term is for three years, and directors are expected to attend the AEA International Convention & Trade Show (where the annual spring board meeting is convened), as well as the annual fall board meeting. During the year, directors may be asked to volunteer time to serve on committees or complete special projects.

Member voting takes place via the AEA website in January and the winners of the election will be notified in early 2022. More...

Congratulations to Stephen Heideman of Aircom Avionics, 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 Foster RNAV 511.

Avionics technicians can put their "inside" knowledge to work in the next issue of AEA Wired, so stay tuned for the next Mystery Make and Model challenge! All correct answers submitted throughout 2021 will be entered to win a random drawing for a $500 Visa gift card in January, also from Southeast Aerospace.

In the 108 years since the Wright brothers opened the skies to heavier-than-air powered flight, aviation passed through almost innumerable milestones – often described as showing the “sky’s the limit.” This seems somewhat prosaic, even quaint as aviation knocked down those dubious barriers, year after year, decade after decade.

Like the railroads of the 19th century, prognosticators and futurists of the early 20th century predicted that flying would hit its limit due to the influence of “natural laws,” some of them mouthing the same lines mistakenly uttered by railroad’s naysayers. Men would likely die if locomotives became capable of speeding along at the obviously dangerous velocity of a whopping mile a minute – 60 miles per hour.

Obviously, the sky is no longer a limit – neither for travel nor for communicating with others on the ground and in the sky, or in space, “the final frontier.” More...

At a busy regional airport in Quebec, Canada, this summer, OG Aviation International’s aircraft technicians completed a major avionics project on a Piper Arrow. Reworking the panel, they installed an Aspen Evolution 2000 Pro Max PFD/MFD, Avidyne IFD550 FMS/GPS/nav/comm, Garmin GNC 255 nav/comm, L3 Lynx NGT-9000 transponder and a Trio Avionics autopilot. The bright, four-color displays give the small aircraft’s cockpit the sleek look of high-tech glass while improving situational awareness.

In the hangar, the Piper sits among other pistons as well as turboprops. Before the pandemic, OG Aviation International served more businesses, charter operators and cargo airlines. Today, it’s mainly general aviation aircraft – a welcome option for individual owner-operators who generally have difficulty garnering time and attention from experienced service centers. More...

At Western Aircraft, avionics manager Patrick “Brody” McKenna oversees some 14 avionics technicians and staff at the full-service FAA-certified repair station and fixed-base operator on Boise Airport in Idaho. The group is diversified into line and bench technicians, installation technicians, and engineering and integration specialists.

“We’re growing as a department, and our numbers will be increasing in the near future,” said McKenna, who has more than 15 years of aviation experience, specifically with technical training, troubleshooting and aircraft repair.

Inspired by his grandfather who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, McKenna spent 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an avionics technician and collateral duty quality assurance representative as well as an avionics instructor evaluator and master training specialist. More...

The AEA’s online training platform called AERO, short for the Aerospace Education Resource Online system, allows users to train at their own pace and operates like a personal learning management system. More than a dozen new courses that took place at this year's AEA Convention in Dallas are now available, including OEM technical sessions, Pitot-Static and Transponder Certification training, Electrical Load Analysis, and Marketing Beyond the Runway. Convention attendees may access the sessions recorded at AEA Dallas for free, and those AEA members who could not attend the convention may purchase them.

Training content is exclusive to AEA members at aea.net/aero with a member login and password. AEA AERO will continue to add and update content to help members accomplish their training goals. Members with questions about the new AERO online training system may contact Aaron Ward directly at aaronw@aea.net. More...

The Aircraft Electronics Association Educational Foundation will award more than 20 scholarships for the 2022-23 school year to students pursuing a career in avionics or aircraft maintenance, as well as students from AEA member companies.

Since its inception, the AEA scholarship program has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships. The deadline to submit a scholarship application is April 1, 2022. Scholarship applications are available at aea.net/scholarship.

If you are not quite ready to take the AET test, AEA has you covered.

Avotek, an AEA member and training partner, offers online courses to help avionics technicians prepare for the AET exam and is offering a member discount of 40% off.

The Fundamentals of Aircraft Electronics Part I - Electricity and Electronics and The Fundamentals of Aircraft Electronics Part II - Maintenance Practices and Aircraft Fundamentals are the essential guides to aircraft electronics associated with AET certification.

To access the coupon codes, you will need to be logged in to the AEA website. AEA members get 40% off each course with the coupon codes. More...

Registration has opened for the 65th 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 2022. The event will take place at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, March 28-31, 2022.

Attendees must register by Dec. 31, 2021, to receive the early-bird discount price of $695 (AEA member rate) for a full convention registration. The early-bird promotion offers a $180 per person savings off the on-site registration fee. More...

A direct link to make hotel reservations in the official room block at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside for the 2022 AEA Convention is available at aea.net/convention.

The AEA encourages all attendees and exhibitors to secure their hotel rooms soon, as the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four will take place in New Orleans immediately following the conclusion of the AEA Convention. Plan ahead and secure your hotel accommodations well in advance of the show. More...

Published annually by the Aircraft Electronics Association, the 2021-22 edition of the AEA Pilot's Guide was recently unveiled. This year marks the 19th annual edition of the AEA Pilot's Guide, a consumer's directory loaded with educational articles, timely information and data about the ever-changing world of avionics technologies. The publication helps pilots and aircraft owners make better buying decisions and locate nearly 1,300 AEA member companies in more than 40 countries, including government-certified repair stations specializing in maintenance, repair and installation of avionics and electronic systems in general aviation aircraft. It also includes the manufacturers and distributors of these products, as well as technical schools and universities, engineers and consultants for the industry.

Individuals residing in the United States may request a free copy of the AEA Pilot's Guide at aeapilotsguide.net/request.asp while supplies last. More...

Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, SKYTRAC Systems has been a full-service data-driven solutions provider for private, business, commercial, and military aviation since 1986. Today, its systems are certified on more than 900 airframes with over 7,500 users around the globe. From performance trending and operations reporting to real-time asset tracking and situational awareness – SKYTRAC offers a one-stop response to meeting the needs of its customers.

Company executive Ray Larkin has the latest scoop on what’s next for SKYTRAC in this episode of AEA Amplified, sponsored by Genesys Aerosystems, a Moog Company. Listen...

Certified Repair Station Training (13 seats remain)

This weeklong course provides an interactive environment to learn, understand and implement the regulations that govern repair station design and operations. 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 should attend.

Primary Flight Display Installation & Configuration (15 seats remain)

Technicians will learn how to plan, install, interface, configure and check out an installation of a primary flight display, EHSI and GPS/Nav/Com consisting of dual Garmin GI 275, a Garmin GTN 650 touchscreen, and a Garmin GTX 345 transponder. Designed for technicians who have experience with avionics installation practices and are looking for more training integrating common general aviation installations.

Avionics Testing Fundamentals (15 seats remain)

This course is designed for technicians who have experience with basic avionics installation practice, familiar with basic soldering skills and are looking for experience in LRU bench testing and avionics troubleshooting. Bench testing nav, VHF comm and transponders will be the focus of study. Technicians will fabricate a general-purpose test panel that they will use in the course. Attendees will keep their fabricated test panel upon course completion.

Transponder Service Training (11 seats remain)

This course is designed for technicians who have experience with basic avionics installation practice and are looking for experience in transponder LRU bench testing, transponder flight line testing and aircraft troubleshooting. ADS-B transponders systems will be the focus of study. Attendees will keep their fabricated wire harness upon course completion.

Nav/Comm Equipment Service Training (10 seats remain)

This course is designed for technicians who have experience with basic avionics installation practice and are looking for experience in avionics flight line testing, LRU bench testing and aircraft troubleshooting. VOR, localizer, glideslope, marker beacon and VHF comms will be the focus of study.

Pitot-Static, Transponder, and ADS-B: Testing & Inspection (12 seats remain)

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.

Avionics Installation for Experimental Aircraft (11 seats remain)

This course is targeted for the homebuilder or avionics technician who wants to learn about performing an avionics installation in an experimental aircraft. The class focuses on the Garmin G3X Touch system, and a simplified example harness is constructed as part of the hands-on portion of the class. While the G3X Touch system is the primary focus, the wiring principles and general guidance can be applied to any experimental avionics system. From the do-it-yourselfer to the avionics shop looking to carve a niche, this class has something for everyone.

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. Free resume posting is available. Are you up to the challenge? More...

Is your business hiring? The AEA jobs board makes it easier for AEA members to find their next avionics technician, quality manager, inspector, sales representative or engineer.

AEA members may submit a free job posting after entering their username and password at AEA.net/Jobs. Member companies that optionally choose to upgrade their job posting for a premium will have preferred online placement and also will be published in the next edition of Avionics News. For more information about premium job listings, contact Rachel Hill, AEA advertising executive, at rachelh@aea.net.