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Avionics News 2014-07
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5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
1/84
a v i o n i c s n e w s
J U L Y 2 0
A Monthly
Publication of the
AEA MEMBERS REGARD AVIONICS NEWSAS THEIR NO. 1 ASSOCIATION BENEFIT
Avidynes IFD540
PLUG-AND-PLAY WONDER
POWER FOR PORTABLE AVIONICS: More than repurposing the 12-volt cigaret
iPADLIMITATIONS
INDUSTRY
SPOTLIGHT:
UAVs spring new busin ess
What pilotsneed to
know
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
2/84
US/Canada 800-527-2581/214-320-9770
dallasavionics.com
For more information, please contact your Dallas Avionics sales representative.
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SAI 340 QuattroIntroducing Sandia Aerospace
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Full Solid State Reliability
Li-Poly Backup Battery : 30 minutes minimum, 2 hours nominal
Lightweight at only .51 lb and dimensions: 3.52 x 3.52 x 1.4 in
AirTransport Quality Graphics
Standard 3 Instrument Hole Mounting
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
3/84
KS 800.821.1212 | CA 800.345.7599 | fysam.com
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5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
4/842 avionicsnews july2014
Vol. 51 No. 7
4 Point of Communication by Kim Stephenson
Experience AirVenture
6 AEA Now
14 The View From Washingtonby Ric Peri
Rumors, lies and misinformation
16 International News and
Regulatory Updatesby Ric Peri
22 Immortal Aviation and the Avionics Rx
by Dave Higdon
Aiding owners in upgrade decisions for older aircraft
26 Member Profileby Christine Knauer
GAM supports busy Australian charter fleet
30 iPad Limitations by Scott M. Spangler
What pilots need to know
36 UAVs Spring New Business by Dale Smith
Robotic Skies set to help avionics repair shops make
the most of new business opportunities.
44 A Conversation With ...by Thomas Inman
Mike Morgan of Duncan Aviation
46 Member Profileby Christine Knauer
Islip Avionics helps restore historic aircraft
N E W S JULY 2014
46
AVIONICS NEWS
is a monthly publication of theAircraft Electronics Association
EDITORIAL & EXECUTIVE OFFICES:3570 NE Ralph Powell RoadLees Summit, MO 64064Phone: 816-347-8400Fax: 816-347-8405Email: [email protected]: www.avionicsnews.net
Publisher
Paula R. Derks
Editor
Geoff Hill
Managing Editor
Jeff Kirchhoff
Director of Advertising
Lauren McFarland
Circulation Manager
Katie Ryser
Senior Writers
Ric PeriJason Dickstein
Contributing Writers
Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside
Dave Higdon
James A. Hunter
Thomas Inman
Christine Knauer
Greg Laslo
Patricia Luebke
John D. Ruley
Dale Smith
Scott M. Spangler
Published monthly by the Aircraft Electronics As
(ISSN 0567-2889). Periodicals postage paid at L
MO and additional mailing offices. Advertising ra
upon request. For subscription information, send
and complete mailing address to:
AVIONICS NEWS
3570 NE Ralph Powell Road
Lees Summit, MO 64064
POSTMASTER: Send address changes toAVIO
3570 NE Ralph Powell Road, Lees Summit, MO
The publishers and editors of this magazine do n
responsibility for statements made by advertisers
for the opinions expressed by authors of bylined
Materials may not be reproduced without written
Material forAvionics News(USPS 452011) is we
review; however, the editors assumes no respon
the return or safety of artwork, photographs or m
Articles submitted for publication become the pro
AEA. Articles submitted by AEA contractors are
work-for-hire and, as such, are the property of th
Avionics News and its editors reserve the right to
articles for length, clarity and content.
2014 Aircraft Electronics Association All right
PRINTED IN THE USA.
A d v e r t i s e r s I n d e x p a g e 6 4
49 Before & After
Islip Avionics of Ronkonkoma, New York
50 Avidynes IFD540 plug-and-play wonder
by Dave Higdon
Hybrid touch redefines control; easy GUI
enhances flexibility, utility
56 Business Basicsby Greg Laslo
Single minds: How groupthink hurts smart
decision-making
62 Whats Working?by Thomas Inman
Invested Experts: Pacific Southwest Instruments
66 Marketing Report Cardby Patricia Luebke
Media Relations
68 Power for Portable Avionicsby John D. Ruley
More than repurposing the 12-volt cigarette lighter
72 Whats New
The source for updates on AEA members
78 Marketplace Classifieds
Jobs, equipment, calibration, services & more
2 avionicsnews july 2014
www.avionicsnews.net
26 62
Rare is the pilot today who does not fly without a tablet computer, usuallyan Apple iPad. But these personal electronic devices are not without their
problems. Read more about the limitations of flying with an iPad on page 30
Main photo courtesy of Sportys Pilot Shop
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APPROACH PLATES
TRAFFICWEATHER
RADARAIRSPACE / AIRWAYSADS-B AND TERRAIN
GTN SERIES
When it comes to experience in touchscreen avionics, our GTN750/650 series
is in a league all by itself. Evolved from thousands of Garmin glass systems, this
integrated GPS/Nav/Comm/MFD platform gives pilots the technology to make
quicker, smarter, easier decisions in all phases of flight. It offers full WAAS LPV
approach capability, preloaded FliteChartsand SafeTaxi1, plus a wide range of
display capabilities and inputsincluding optional Doppler-enhanced onboard
weather radar, digital autopilot interface, datalinks for worldwide weather, traffic
alerting, voice/text messaging, position reporting, and more. Theres also onscreen
control for remote transponder and audio panel functions 2plus a GTN Trainer
app you can download to preview the GTN on your iPad.
To find out more, see your Garmin dealer or visit Garmin.com/aviation.
2014 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
1Initial U.S. FliteChartswill disable when data is over 6 months out-of-date. Updates available on single-cycle or annual basis.2Transponder and audio systems sold separately. Remote audio panel functions available on GTN 750 series only.NOTE: GTN 750 shown above is displayed with Jeppesen JeppViewelectronic charts, available with optional Garmin ChartView.
Hundreds of features.
Thousands of installations.
Millions of flight hours.
One clear choice.
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
6/844 avionicsnews july2014
Experience AirVenture
4 avionicsnews july 2014
Continued on page 60
So whats to like about AirVenture? Umm everything!As we enter the month of July, aviation enthu-
siasts have an opportunity to immerse themselves
in a one-of-a-kind aviation gathering in Oshkosh,Wisconsin, at the Experimental Aircraft
Associations AirVenture. This years
annual event is set for July 28-Aug.
3. For many, AirVenture is an annual
pilgrimage a once-a-year opportunity
to soak up the sights and sounds of all
things aviation.
If you havent attend-
ed AirVenture in the
past, it is definitely worth the trip.
For one week, Wittman RegionalAirport in Oshkosh becomes
the busiest airport in the world.
More than 10,000 aircraft come
and go in a few days. After 20
years of working at AirVenture,
I am still in awe of the cho-
reography that goes into
managing the airspace. Each
day, one can look up and see
an antique aircraft, a blimp, ultra-
lights, a helicopter and multiple other aircraft in
simultaneous flight above the grounds. This is gen-
eral aviation on the grandest scale.
Where else can you see the B-17 and the Jetman,
Yves Rossy, fly in the same day? The B-17 always
gives me goose bumps, and the Jetmans jet pack
is reminiscent of our childhood fantasies. This also
is the place to be if you love innovation. Some of
the emerging technologies showcased at AirVentureare still so raw you can see the creative
struggle to make the next leap right before
your eyes.
Whether youre a show veteran or first-
time participant, the best way to experience
AirVenture is with another person. A good
candidate may be the youngest member of
your extended family. I found such a candi-
date in my 8-year-old son when he visited
AirVenture two years ago. When asked what he
liked best about AirVenture, he said, Um every-thing!
His favorite place was KidVenture. The name
implies its all about kids, but you may feel the
same level of excitement if you walk a youngster
through this program and see science concepts click
into place. But beware this is a great place to pass
along the aviation bug.
KidVenture offers hands-on experiences for youth
to learn the basics about aircraft and flying. On
the aircraft maintenance technician A&P (airframe
and powerplant) track, kids will build a small-scale
wing rib and carve a propeller, learn electrical sys-
Kim Stephenson
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5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
8/846 avionicsnews july2014 avionics news july 2011 6
EEDIRECT Dgd x fr AEA
mmbr, th dtb mmbr
t tr d qpmt t dr. Mmbr
bmt, m, thr
/d tr t
t th AEA, hh thdt qpmt t ph-mr
tg. Ltd b r dd fr AEA mm-
br t bmt thr EEDrt tm. AEA mmbr
bmt thr tm t [email protected].
ANNUAL RATE & LABOR SURVEY Er r,
AEA mmbr r kd t mpt fdt
r dtg thr pf
br rt, mp bft
d p fr grth. Th
dtd rprt mmbr t xm d-
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GLOBAL JET SERVICES PARTNERSHIP
Thrgh th AEA/Gb Jt Sr prtrhp,
AEA mmbr r 15 prt dt
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Sr r. Fr
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Gb Jt Sr t 860-651-6090.
AEA INSURANCE PROGRAM N
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frm pzg f t r
rdd. T bttr r th r d
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N At
ffr prprt, rk-
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tmb d rm. Thrgh th prgrm, AEA
mmbr rk th thr gt, h
tr tt N At t dp pf
r prgrm bd h mmbr d.
Fr mr frmt, N At t
913-677-1550.
DRUG & ALCOHOL PROGRAM NATA
Cmp Sr, f-r rgtr m-
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It r d drg prgrm mgmt, drg
ttg, bkgrd hk d mp dtf-
t bdgg. Fr mr frmt, 800-788-
3210 r t .t.r.
AEAS WEBSITE AEA.NET The first stop for
AEA members in search of the latest in regulatory
topics, technical information and association news.
The AEA website,
www.aea.net, offers
24-hour access for
AEA members around
the globe who are inneed of online training,
meeting and event
information, magazine archives, warranty claims, reg-
ulatory updates and more. It is the most comprehen-
sive website for certified repair stations in the world.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman of the BoardDAVID LOSO, Jet Aviation St. Louis
Vice ChairmanMICHAEL KUS,Avionics 2000 Pty. Ltd.
TreasurerJIM JOUBERT, Pacific Southwest Instruments
Secretary
KIM STEPHENSON, L-3 Aviation Products
PAULA DERKS, Aircraft Electronics Association
RICK GARCIA, Gulf Coast Avionics
TOM HARPER, Avidyne Corp.
MATTHEW HARRAH, Garmin USA
GARRY JOYCE, IAE Ltd.
TIM KELLY, Honeywell Aerospace
MIKE LACONTO, Epps Aviation
JEANNE MEADE,Velocity Aerospace
MIKE MINCHOW, Duncan Aviation
RICK OCHS, Spirit Aeronautics
RICHARD PEAVLEY, Vero Beach Avionics
CORY RELLING,Aspen Avionics
DAVID SALVADOR,Aircell
TIM SHAW, Rocky Mountain Aircraft
BRIAN WILSON, Banyan Air Service
Immediate Past ChairmanGARY HARPSTER, Duncan Aviation
AEA INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
3570 NE Ralph Powell RoadLees Summit, MO 64064
Phone: 816-347-8400 Fax: [email protected] www.aea.net
AEA HEADQUARTERS STAFF
PAULA DERKS, President
DEBRA McFARLAND, Executive Vice President
MIKE ADAMSON, Vice President,Member Programs & Education
LINDA ADAMS, Vice President, Member Services
GEOFF HILL, Director of Communications
JEFF KIRCHHOFF, Creative Director
AARON WARD, Director of Information Services
LAUREN McFARLAND, Director of Advertising
KATIE RYSER,Administrative Assistant
AEA WASHINGTON, D.C., OFFICE
601 Pennsylvania Ave. NWSuite 900, South BuildingWashington, D.C. 20004
Phone: 202-589-1144 Fax: 202-639-8238RIC PERI
Vice President, Government & Industry Affairs
AEA EUROPE OFFICE
Richmodstrasse 6D-50667 Cologne, GermanyPhone: +49 221 920 42 442
Fax: +49 221 920 42 200
AEA CONSULTANTS
JASON DICKSTEIN
AEA General Counsel
BRUCE BAXTER
South Pacific Regulatory Consultant
KEVIN BRUCE
Canadian Regulatory Consultant
FRANZ REDAK
European Regulatory Consultant
July .........................................Td, J 1
August ..................................Md, Ag. 4
September............................ Td, Spt. 2
October ........................... Wdd, Ot. 1
Other benefits of the AEA include the annual International Convention & Trade Show, regional
meetings, regulatory representation, AEA Wired e-newsletterand Avionics News magazine.
UPS FREIGHT AEA mmbr r
p prg th UPS Frght LTL (-th-
trkd) hpmt ghg
150 pd t 20,000 pd.
Th prgrm ffr dt
fr tmzd t fr th
LTL d f AEA mmbr, h
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pr d trk LTL hpmt, rt -
tr b f dg, r bg d mr. Fr
mr frmt, 866-443-9303, xt. 4080, r
6 avionicsnews july 2014
FREIGHTQUOTE.COM AEA mmbr
h th rght t fr hppg frght.
Mmbr bt
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pkp, prt b f dg d rt m-
t pprrk th rrd.C2C RESOURCES DEBT COLLECTION SERVICES
C2C Rr prd AEA mmbr rd-
d th dbt t r t mmbr-
dtd rt. Vt th C2C Rr bt t
.2rr.m
t h t prgrm
bft r m-
p. Fr mr frmt, C2C Rr t
866-341-6316.
MARKETLIFT INC. MrktLft I. ffr
prfrrd mrktg rt t mrktg,
d pb rt
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MrktLft g 15 pr-
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mr frmt, t .mrkt-ft.m.
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
9/84avionicsnews july2014 7avionicsnews july 2014 7avionicsnews july 2014 7
The Aircraft Electronics Association is offering four
educational courses during the month of August in the
Dan Derby Center for Professional Development at its
international headquarters in Lees Summit, Missouri.
First, the AVIONICS INSTALLATION AND
INTEGRATION TRAINING course is
slated for Aug. 18-20. Presented
by Don Dominguez of Radioman
Avionics, this three-day course is
designed for technicians who have
completed AEAs Basic Wiring andAvionics 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 touchscreen
nav/comm/GPS, Garmin GTX33ES
remote transponder and an AspenEFD1000 primary flight display.
In addition, the PITOT-STATIC AND
TRANSPONDER CERTIFICATION TRAININGcourse
takes place Aug. 21. Attendees will learn the proper
methods for conducting pitot-static and transponder
certification testing. 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. It also
includes a transponder tune-up course. The contents
of this course can easily be incorporated into
approved training programs for certified
repair stations.
The RVSM MAINTENANCE
AND ADVANCED TRANSPONDER
TRAININGcourse immediately followson Aug. 22. Attendees will be introduced
to the regulations, documentation, test
equipment and maintenance practices
associated with performing RVSM
maintenance and will follow with an
in-depth look at Mode S transponders.
This course assumes the attendee has
good operating knowledge of Federal
Aviation Regulations 91.411 and 91.413.
Finally, the NATIONAL CENTER FOR
AEROSPACE AND TRANSPORTATION
TECHNOLOGIES AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS
TECHNICIAN REVIEWcourse takes place Aug. 25-27.
Presented by Bruce Bessette, who has more than
30 years of avionics and maintenance experience,
this three-day course provides a review of all 34
subject areas for the NCATT AET certification exam.
At the end of this review, course attendees should
be prepared to take the NCATT AET certification
test, which will be administered free of charge (a
$100 value). Upon successful completion of the AET
exam, attendees will be eligible to test for additional
ratings, including the NCATT Radio Communications
Systems (RCS), Dependent Navigation Systems
(DNS) and Autonomous Navigation Systems (ANS)
endorsements.
For more information or to register for these
professional development opportunities, visit www.
aea.net/training or contact the AEA at 816-347-8400.
Class size is limited, so register today. q
Four Training Classes Available at
AEA Headquarters in August
TRAINING SITE:
Dan Derby Center
for ProfessionalDevelopment,
AEA International
Headquarters.
INFORMATION/
REGISTRATION
www.aea.net/training
816-347-8400
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The Aircraft Electronics
Associations 12th edition of
the Pilots Guide to
Avionicsdebuts at the
Experimental Aircraft
Associations AirVenture,
July 28-Aug. 3, in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The freePilots
Guide to Avionicswill
be available at the
AEAs AirVenture
booth, No. 2035/36,
Hangar B.
In addition to a complete directory
of AEA member government-certified
repair stations, avionics manufactur-
ers and distributors, the Pilots Guide
to Avionicsfeatures educational arti-
cles to help pilots and aircraft owners
with their avionics buying decisions.
The Pilots Guide to Avionicsalso
will be distributed throughout the
year at AEA Regional Meetings; the
NBAA Business Aviation Convention
& Exhibition; WAIs Conference; HAIs
Heli-Expo; and the AEA International
Convention & Trade Show. A com-
plimentary copy will be mailed to all
AEA member companies in August.
For more information, or request
the Pilots Guide to Avionics, visit
www.aea.pilotsguide.net.q
2014-15
Pilots Guide
to AvionicsDistribution Begins
at AirVenture
ISACONSUMERS
GUIDE
OFAVIONICSANDS
ERVICES,INCLUDI
NG
AGLOBALDIRECT
ORYOFCERTIFIED
AVIONICS/INSTRU
MENTFACILITIES,
MANUFACTURERS
ANDDISTRIBUTO
RS.
APUBLICAT
IONOFTHE
INSIDE
ISACONSUMERS
GUIDE
OFAVIONICSANDS
ERVICES,INCLUDI
NG
AGLOBALDIRECT
ORYOFCERTIFIED
AVIONICS/INSTRU
MENTFACILITIES,
MANUFACTURERS
ANDDISTRIBUTO
RS.
ADS-B:Arey
ouready?
Autopilotupg
rades
Showcasing
newavionics
ADS-B:Arey
ouready?
Autopilotupg
rades
Showcasing
newavionics
ADS-B:Arey
ouready?
Autopilotupg
rades
Showcasing
newavionics
ADS-B:Arey
ouready?
Autopilotupg
rades
Showcasing
newavionics
The Aircraft Electronics Association recently released its first-
quarter 2014 Avionics Market Report.
In the first three months of the year, total worldwide business
and general aviation avionics sales amounted to $651,748,994.12,
or more than $651 million.
That amount shows an 11.2 percent increase in sales compared
to the first-quarter 2013 amount of $586,006,894.49, or more
than $586 million as reported a year ago by the participatingcompanies.
The dollar amount reported (using net sales price, not
manufacturers suggested retail price) includes: all business
and general aviation aircraft electronic sales including all
component and accessories in cockpit/cabin/software upgrades/
portables/noncertified aircraft electronics; all hardware (tip
to tail); batteries; and chargeable product upgrades from the
participating manufacturers. The amount does not include repairs
and overhauls, extended warranty or subscription services.
Of the more than $651 million in total sales in the first
quarter, $330,420,718.04, or more than $330 million, came
from forward-fit (avionics equipment installed by airframemanufacturers during original production) sales and comprised 50.7
percent of total sales. Retrofit (avionics equipment installed after
original production) sales amounted to $321,328,276.08, or more
than $321 million, comprising 49.3 percent of total sales.
In addition, the first-quarter 2014 report marked the first
time participating companies were asked to separate their total
sales figures between North America (U.S. and Canada) and
other international markets. According to the companies that
participated in this breakdown, 62.9 percent of the sales volume
occurred in North America (U.S. and Canada), while 37.1
percent took place in other international markets.
It is encouraging to see total avionics sales in the business and
general aviation market grow by more than 11 percent from the
same time period one year ago, said Paula Derks, AEA president.
This report is another positive economic indicator for the
general aviation industry, which continues its recovery from the
recession. And with more than 37 percent of avionics sales taking
place outside the United States and Canada, its another sign that
the business and general aviation industry has no boundaries and
truly is a significant contributor to the international economy.q
AEA Announces First-Quarter2014 Avionics Market Report
Overall growth in total sales 11.2 percent; forward-fit and retrofit sales nearly even; 62.9 percent of
sales took place in North America (U.S. and Canada).
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
11/84
Were not just innovatingin-flight connectivity.
WereAircelleratingit.
5 new ways to kick your connectivity into high gear.
aircell.com | [email protected]
In-flight connectivity and technology have just
raced boldly ahead. See how Aircell has once agai
enhanced and expanded whats possible in the air.
To learn more, contact Aircell at +1.303.301.3271.
UCS 5000A smart router. A media server.
The next-gen system to manage it all.
ATG 2000Gogo Biz Internet/voice
service for up to three devices.
GOGOTEXT & TALKText and talk with your phone.
And your number. In flight.
GOGO ONEPHONEEverything a business
aviation handset should be.
GOGO VISIONStream the latest movies, TV
and news. On-demand. In flight.
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
12/8410 avionicsnews july201410 avionicsnews july2014
Is ADS-B OUT of time?AEA members offer someINsightThe Aircraft Electronics Association, which rep-
resents nearly 700 U.S.-based repair stations and
900 repair stations throughout the world, recently
conducted a survey of its members regarding their
ADS-B installation capacity.
AEA members identified their shop size, the aircraft
they maintain and alter, and what type of activity
drives their business today (e.g. installation, mainte-nance, bench work, etc.). They also indicated whether
or not they have avionics installation capability, if they
have already performed an ADS-B installation, and
the average total man hours and days required to per-
form these installations.
Survey participants also were asked how they plan to meet demand for ADS-B installations in the future. Of the
81 respondents, 52 represented a shop size of 10 or fewer personnel; 29 represented a shop size of 11 or more
personnel.
The results among both the small and large shops indicate a capability and a capacity to perform these upgrades
by the Jan. 1, 2020, mandate. However, it is evident with nearly 160,000 general aviation airplanes expected to com-
ply with the Jan. 1, 2020, mandate, the pace aircraft owners are on to upgrade needs to increase dramatically, as any
further deferment could force serious backlogs in 2016 and beyond.
85%have already performed an
ADS-B INSTALLATION
of SMALL shops
73%will increase capacity to meet
demand ofADS-B INSTALLS
of SMALL shops
60
Small shop survey data (classified as 1 to 10 personnel):
45 percent note their primary business is avionics installation; 35 percent
report their primary business is maintenance.
96 percent of respondents say they have avionics install capability, and 85
percent have already performed an ADS-B installation.
Average total man hours to complete an ADS-B install is 34 hours.
Average number of days aircraft is in the shop for an ADS-B install is four
days.
73 percent of shops indicate they will increase capacity to meet demand
of ADS-B installs: Increase capacity by hiring more employees
(full and part-time) 46 percent.
Increase capacity by increasing
work hours 25 percent.
Average number of ADS-B installs per year per shop is
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72%have already performed an
ADS-B INSTALLATION
of LARGE shops
83%will increase capacity to meet
demand ofADS-B INSTALLS
of LARGE shops
Its all in the NUMBERS The certified repair station industry has capacity
today to perform ADS-B installations at a rate nec-
essary for nearly 160,000 aircraft to comply with
the ADS-B Out mandate by Jan. 1, 2020. Demand
is expected to increase as the deadline nears, and
AEA members indicate they will begin expanding
their installation capacity in order to keep up with
new demand. Survey results suggest expansion will
occur primarily through growth in payrolls (addi-
tional hours for current employees and addition of
new full and part-time employees).
However, general aviation aircraft owners are on
the clock as ADS-B installation capacity today
far exceeds aircraft owner demand. This inverse
relationship will not last unless the industry
immediately begins to see 100 or more installs
completed per day a 25-fold increase over the
current installation rate.
To that end, the Federal Aviation Administration
must prime the pump by incentivizing aircraft
owners and signing the loan guarantee certificate
for the NextGen GA Fund, which will offer low-
cost financing for ADS-B upgrades to aircraft own-
ers. Additionally, efforts must be made within the
FAA to streamline the certification process so AEA
manufacturers can bring new products to market
faster and member shops can be more efficient
in clearing regulatory hurdles to speed their turn-
around time.q
The 36th annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey is the Federal Aviation Administrations primarysource of information about the size and activity of the general aviation and on-demand Part 135 fleet.
Accurate survey data is critical in developing the FAAs accident statistics for general aviation and on-demand
charter operations. This data is used for FAA planning and forecasting purposes, as well.
The survey is conducted on behalf of the FAA by Tetra Tech, an independent research firm, and all survey
responses are confidential. Tetra Tech would like to hear from everyone who receives an invitation to complete
the survey to prepare accurate statistics on aviation activity. The GA Survey is a scientific sample of aircraft from
the Civil Aviation Registry. If you have questions, please contact Tetra Tech at 800-826-1797 or send an email to
2013 General Aviation and Part 135 Survey
75
Large shop survey data (classified as 11 to more than 20 personnel):
59 percent note their primary business is avionics installation; 38
percent report their primary business is maintenance.
93 percent of respondents say they have avionics install capability,
and 72 percent have already performed an ADS-B installation.
Average total man hours to complete an ADS-B install is 57 hours.
Average number of days aircraft is in the shop for an ADS-B install
is 11 days.
83 percent of shops indicate they will increase capacity to meet
demand of ADS-B installs:
Increase capacity by hiring more employees
(full and part-time) 69 percent.
Increase capacity by increasing work
hours 38 percent.
Average number of ADS-B installs per year per shop is
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6 7 8
15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
13 14
5
27 28
10 11 12
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
31
1 2 3 4
129 30 2
Deadline toadvertise in the
September issue ofDeadline to submit
equipment for sale
CASR Part 145 AMO TrainingCairns, Australia
J U L Y 7 - 1 1
Aircraft Electronics
Association
CASR Part 145 AMOTraining Course
Cairns, Australia
816-347-8400
www.aea.net
J U L Y 2 8 - A U G . 3
Experimental
Aircraft Association
EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh, Wis.
920-426-4800
www.airventure.org
A U G . 2 0 - 2 1
Aircraft Electronics
Association
AEA Latin AmericaRegional Meeting
Bogota, Colombia
816-347-8400
www.aea.net
A U G . 1 8 - 2 7
Aircraft Electronics
Association
Four ProfessionalDevelopmentTraining CoursesOffered
Lees Summit, Mo.
816-347-8400
www.aea.net
The P i lo t s G u ide to A v ion ics debuts
July 28-Aug. 3 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh,Wis.
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AEA offices closed
Independence Dayin the U.S.
9
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
15/84
For the first time, Bogota, Colombia, is the site for
the AEA Latin America Regional Meeting scheduledfor Aug. 20-21 at the Ar Hotel Salitre. The event took
place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, each of the last three years.
To make a hotel reservation and/or register to
attend the fourth annual AEA Latin America Regional
Meeting, visit www.aea.net/regional/latin.
The AEA annually hosts regional meetings in the
U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and the South
Pacific. The AEA Regional Meetings offer a forum tosee, hear and learn about all the new technology on
the market, network with industry peers and discover
best practices for the aviation repair station industry.
Attendees and exhibitors gather for two to three days
of regulatory and technical seminars, business man-
agement sessions and exhibits. q
AEA Latin America RegionalMeeting in Bogota, Aug. 20-21
avionicsnews july 2014 13
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t t h e A E A w e b s i t e a t
w w w . a e a . n e t / r e g i o n a l
Latin America Regional
Meeting
Aug.20-21,2014Bogota,Colombia
Canada Regional
Meeting
Sept.3-4,2014
Kelowna,British
Columbia
The Aircraft Electronics Association announced the dates and locations for each of its Regional
Meetings in 2014. Visit the AEA website for more details on each event, including continuous updates
on training schedules, exhibitors, hotel reservations and registration information. q
2014 AEA Regional Meetings Announced
U.S. East
Regional Meeting
Sept.16-17,2014Orlando,Fla.
U.S. West
Regional Meeting
Sept.30-Oct.1,2014
Reno,Nev.
U.S. Central
Regional Meeting
Oct.9-10,2014KansasCity,Mo.
South Pacific
Regional Meeting
Nov.12-13,2014
Sydney,Australia
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
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Rumors, liesand misinformation
B Y R I C P E R I
A E A V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F G O V E R N M E N T & I N D U S T R Y A F F A I R S
In this monthly column, Ric Peri of the AEAs Washington, D.C., oce, informs members of the latest regulatory updates.
As I write this months column, it is late spring. For those
of you in the United States, its graduation season. The
nightly news is filled with reports of brilliant minds
who were invited to address the graduating classes at educa-
tional institutions of all kinds, from the Ivy League in the East
to Stanford and Southern Cal in the West, only to be disinvited
by the voices of the vocal minority who missed something in
their education the ability to hear and learn from those whose
opinion may differ from yours.
Oh, the power of the mob, exercising their constitu-
tional right of free speech, silencing those with whom
they disagree. Where was the majority? Those risk-averse
lemmings missed an opportunity of a lifetime because they
were not willing to object to the vocal minority. Perhaps
we can get former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to
give the opening speech at next years AEA International
Convention and Trade Show in Dallas. I think she would
get an interested and open audience for her thoughts, ideas and
values.
There were three issues raised this month that shows the
failure of academia, at least the failure of the Federal Aviation
Administrations Ivy League institution in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.
In the first instance, a well-meaning inspector went to
Oklahoma City for training and returned with a new sense of
expertise and in a well-meaning way, spread rumors and pro-
paganda that bordered on well, you know where Im going
here. He sent a mass email to all of his charges informing
them he had just returned from school and was sharing what
the school had taught him about SMS. Yes, the safety man-
agement system rule was on short final, and within the next
90 days or so, it would be published. So he was giving all of
his charges a heads up so they could prepare for the pending
mandate.
The problem? He was addressing air charter (Part 135)
companies and repair stations (Part 145); neither of which was
included in the Part 5 proposal. Now, having been an instruc-
tor for more years than I care to count, I dont want to say the
school was spreading false information; it is quite possible
someone asked a question where the answer was misinter-
preted, or perhaps the presenter was discussing the foundation
of SMS and its future applicability, and the student simply
misunderstood. However, it is worth noting that on at least
a half dozen cases since Ive been in Washington, D.C., the
FAA headquarters course managers have been expelled from
courses for noting the instructor was spreading rumors and
propaganda, not accurate policy and procedures. In fact, I was
nearly expelled myself when my instructor was misquoting an
FAA policy memo written to FAA employees that was being
presented as if the intended audience was the general public. It
didnt matter. The basic facts were the student heard bad infor-
mation and, with the best of intentions, was breaking the rules
W h e r e w a s t h e m a j o r i t y ? T h o s e r i s k - a v e r s e
l emmings missed an opportunity of a
l i f e t i m e b e c a u s e t h e y w e r e n o t w i l l i n g t o
o b j e c t t o t h e v o c a l m i n o r i t y .
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
17/84avionicsnews july2014 15
by making the public do things that had not been approved by
the FAA, the Department of Transportation or the Office of
Management and Budget.
Back to our misguided inspector; fortunately one of our
astute members immediately contacted me for confirmation
of this newfound information since it was contrary to what
the AEA has been teaching at its regional meetings. Once Iconfirmed the misinformation, I contacted the inspector with
a friendly, Hey, Im not sure what you think you heard, but
.. It wasnt received in the tone it was sent, and it was
unfortunately dismissed since his information was received
from the school and I was only an industry representative,
who, by the way, has been serving on the SMS working groups
and rulemaking committees for a number of years. While its
possible the FAA is doing a backdoor approach to SMS, it isnt
very likely.
The one part of the information that was accurate is the Part
5 should be final sometime this summer. The NPRM (notice
of proposed rulemaking) initial applicability for Part 5 was forPart 121 air carriers. We have no reason to believe the applica-
bility was expanded since proposed.
Kudos to the shop who took the time to contact us.
The next two issues are based on the same misinformation.
There were two SUPS (suspected unapproved parts) reports
issued that were simply wrong one in late March and the
other in early May. Sorry folks, these arent unapproved parts
at least not with the explanations listed in the reports. This
is not to say there isnt a regulatory violation, but that is a dif-
ferent issue; they are not ineligible parts that must be removed
and destroyed.
Recently, the AEA finished its first Train the Trainer course
on repair station regulations. As many of you know, the AEA
has been teaching a Certified Repair Station training course for
a few years. The course has progressed well, and the reviews
from the last class in May were quite rewarding. But the Train
the Trainer course was a bit different in that it focused on the
why of the regulations rather than the what. As the theory
goes, for someone to truly teach something, they need to fully
understand the topic with the history, applicability and nuances
of the standard. This has been woefully missing in the misap-
plication of the SUPS program since the beginning. Most dis-
turbing, when I brought this to the attention of FAA leadership,
the answer I received was, We are powerless to address this.
Yes, I nearly fell over and lost all respect for the office that,
by its own admission, is powerless to lead.
During the early days of the SUPS program, it wasnt
unusual for a report to identify suspect parts and instruct
the operators of their need to inspect the parts to assure thepaperwork and installations met the regulations. These new
reports, however, simply identified these parts and instructed
the public to remove the parts (oh, forget the money involved).
The argument? They were not produced in compliance with 14
CFR 21.9.
Because the parts had not been approved, the author of the
SUPS report assumed they were unapproved parts. Clearly
the authors failed to read the SUPS program or understand the
intent of the program. This program is not about approved or
unapproved parts, but rather parts that are eligible for installa-
tion in type certificated aircraft.
It is important to note that in the 1995 Suspected UnapprovedParts Program Plan, which was prepared and submitted to
the administrator by the FAA Suspected Unapproved Parts
Task Force, the task force clarified that an approved part is
not synonymous with a part that has received a formal FAA
approval.
The commonly used term approved part is not synonymous
with a part that has received a formal FAA approval. The terms
approved parts and unapproved parts as used in this report
are not legal definitions, but simply a reflection of the need to
have a broad term that identifies parts that should, or should not,
be installed on an aircraft. In this report, parts that should be used
on an aircraft (approved parts) are described as parts accept-
able for installation or eligible for installation.
Even Advisory Circular 21-29C Detecting and Reporting
Suspected Unapproved Parts, makes this point. According to
the AC, Parts that have been inspected and/or tested by persons
authorized to determine conformity to FAA-approved design
data may also be deemed acceptable. Although only appli-
cable to replacement parts, AC 20-62E Eligibility, Quality,
and Identification of Aeronautical Replacement Parts, states
Continued on page 65
Come on Barney F if e, youre not in Mayberry anymore!
We real ly need you to step up, read the regulations,
question what acad emia teaches and lead .
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
18/8416 avionicsnews july2014
The Aircraft Electronics Associations international membership continues to grow. Currently, the AEA represents avionics
businesses in more than 40 countries throughout the world. To better serve the needs of the AEAs international membership,
the International News and Regulatory Updates section of Avionics News offers a greater focus on international regulatory
activity, international industry news and an international Frequently Asked Questions column to help promote standardization.
If you have comments about this section, send emails to [email protected].
F R O M R I C P E R I
A E A V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F G O V E R N M E N T & I N D U S T R Y A F F A I R S
UNITED STATES
News & Regulatory Updates
AEA President tells Congress: Theavionics industry is ready to meetmandate, but FAA leadership needs torefocus on ADS-B
On Wednesday, June 11, Paula Derks, president of
the Aircraft Electronics Association, told members of
the U.S. House Small Business Committee that the
Federal Aviation Administration leadership needs to
refocus its efforts for a more rapid adoption of the
safety-enhancing NextGen technologies, in which it
has invested so heavily.
Chaired by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), the hear-
ing titled, FAAs 2020 NextGen Mandate: Benefits
and Challenges for General Aviation, examined the
benefits of the 2020 mandate to the general aviation
industry, challenges it may face in compliance with
the mandate, and the importance of incentivizing andensuring widespread adoption.
In her testimony, Derks focused on job creation and
urged congressional leaders to encourage the FAA to
expedite the implementation of the NextGen GA Fund
by issuing loan guarantee certificates. Derks stressed
the need to streamline certification and field approv-
als for the expected 160,000 U.S. general aviation
airplanes to equip in time to meet the Jan. 1, 2020,
mandate for ADS-B Out.
Other witnesses who presented testimony include:
Michael P. Huerta, FAA administrator; Tim Taylor,
president and CEO of FreeFlight Systems; and Bob
Hepp, owner of Aviation Adventures.
The hearing was live-streamed and is available
on the committees website at www.ustream.tv/
recorded/48663396. To hear Derks testimony, skip to
1:06:00 in the video.
Below is Derks written testimony that was submit-
ted to the committee.
Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Velzquez, and
members of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business:
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before
you today on the benefits and challenges of the
Federal Aviation Administrations 2020 NextGen
mandate on the general aviation industry.
My name is Paula Derks, and I am president
of the Aircraft Electronics Association. We are an
international organization representing nearly 1,300
companies of which nearly 80 percent are small
businesses. Included in our membership are nearly
200 avionics manufacturers who are producing sys-
tems to meet ADS-B Out requirements.
Our largest category of membership is the 900-
plus government-certified repair stations with
approximately 700 in the United States certified by
the FAA, and an additional 200 repair stations in
more than 40 countries around the world.
My comments today will focus on three primary
areas: 1) the ability of industry to meet the man-
date; 2) the challenges my members face when
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
19/84avionicsnews july2014 17
Continued on following page
certifying the new equipment and receiving field
approval on the installation; and 3) the refocused
effort needed from the FAA leadership to expedite
implementation of this safety-enhancing technol-
ogy and sign off on the congressionally-authorized
finance incentives for the aircraft operator.
It is important to note that all three of these
areas are related to an overall lack of leadership
within various divisions in the Federal Aviation
Administration.
Today, the certified repair station industry has
the capacity to perform ADS-B installations at a
rate necessary for nearly 160,000 general aviation
aircraft to comply with the ADS-B Out mandate by
Jan. 1, 2020. Demand is expected to increase as thedeadline nears, and AEA members indicate they will
begin expanding their installation capacity in order
to keep up with new demand.
However, general aviation aircraft owners are
on the clock as ADS-B installation capacity today
far exceeds aircraft owner demand. This inverse
relationship will not last unless the industry imme-
diately begins to see 100 or more installs completed
per day a 25-fold increase over the current instal-
lation rate.
Our industry has received mixed signals from the
FAA in regards to the ADS-B mandate. This leads to
confusion, rumors and mistrust of the very agency
charged with implementing the Next Generation Air
Transportation System, which will exacerbate the
backlog as early as 2016 and beyond.
As you might imagine, when it comes to being
forced by a government mandate to spend hard-
earned, personal cash to upgrade when benefits to
the consumer have not yet been fully realized, it
is not an easy sell. But, in our recognition of the
enhancement of safety and efficiencies that NextGen
will bring our nation, we have worked our best to
educate the general aviation industry and move for-ward on implementation.
Yet, throughout our efforts, and those of our sis-
ter trade associations, and industry itself, the FAA
seems to be dragging its feet.
From day one, Administrator Huertas office has
been a vocal proponent of the NextGen implementa-
tion, and has said the right things they have prom-
PhotocourtesyofPeterCu
ttsPhotography
Paula Derks, president of the Aircra Electronics Associaon, tells members of the U.S. House Small Business Commiee that FAA leadership needs to
refocus its eorts for a more rapid adopon of the safety-enhancing NextGen technologies.
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
20/8418 avionicsnews july2014
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Continued from page 17
ised a reasonable transition, offered cost-effective
solutions, and worked to make sure the ground
infrastructure was in place ... only to have their
efforts derailed by the back office whose individual
guidance, excessive micro-management and person-
al opinions compete with the overall objectives.
When you consider the nearly 160,000 aircraft
still needing ADS-B equipage as of today, this is not
a strategy for meeting the deadline and providing
safe, ef ficient and cost-effective installations.
Our members both the manufacturers and the
repair stations are sharing with us that there is
general mistrust of the FAA, and their decision-mak-ing ... or lack thereof.
Rumors are swirling that the mandate will be
extended, or new and cheaper technology will
miraculously be introduced at the very last moment.
All these rumors and mistruths create a very con-
fused consumer.
Ironically, the very agency that is charged with
overseeing the safety and efficiency of our nations
skies is the same agency causing this turmoil.
Several of our repair station members tell us that
their customers, the aircraft operators, have decidedto wait until the last minute to equip because they
assume the FAA will operate as usual with delays
and will have to extend the deadline to equip.
Again, industry has no faith in the leadership of the
FAA to actually stick to the mandate of Jan 1, 2020.
The FAA has a history of not implementing rules
on time. We cannot remember one avionics man-
date in the last five decades that was implemented
without an extension. These extensions have created
a public perception that the FAA will, once again,
allow another exception, creating the potential for a
serious backlog as the 2020 deadline nears.
However, for those operators who have decided to
equip now, the FAA is still a constraint. For exam-
ple, we have a member in Las Vegas who supports a
helicopter fleet operator wanting to equip a fleet of
90 helicopters. He currently has the correct ADS-B
equipment installed. But because his aircraft has
not been FAA approved for ADS-B operations, he
cant turn the system on.
For clarity, the navigation-transponder system
he is installing into this fleet has already been
approved by the FAA in thousands of airplanes, but
because this is a fleet of helicopters, the approvals
dont count.
So the penalty for this operator who is willingly
following the law by equipping for ADS-B opera-
tions, is experiencing six months of costly admin-
istrative burden and an additional cost of approxi-
mately $30,000 in certification fees.
The constraint: they had to coordinate the approv-
al with a two-person team at FAA Headquarters
in Washington who manage all ADS-B installa-
tions. Then, they had to get consensus from a single
engineer at the FAA Rotorcraft Directorate in Fort
Worth, Texas, even though there were no modifica-
tions to the aircraft.Despite the fact that the FAA employs thousands
of very talented engineers, all 160,000-plus general
aviation aircraft needing an upgrade must pass
through a couple of project managers in Washington.
Since the ADS-B Out mandate first became a rule
in 2010, the AEA has been working with our con-
stituents to educate them, inform them of progress,
and how to best comply with the mandate. The AEA
has promoted the recently announced financing
program, the NextGen GA Fund. The NextGen GA
Fund was designed to take advantage of the public-private partnership funding authorized by Congress
in the 2012 FAA Reauthorization Bill, to create an
incentive for operators of aircraft to take advantage
of low-interest, government-backed loans to buy the
necessary equipment in order to comply with the
mandate. While there may be an ongoing debate
regarding the fund, the lack of the FAAs willingness
to embrace the fund is a testimony to the cancer
that has wreaked havoc on the agency for the past
decade. The agency has a culture of cant rather
than a culture of can do. The agencys employees
are so absorbed with finding why something cannot
be done, they have lost the aviators vision of how
to accomplish the task in spite of the barriers and
challenges. The only cure for this type of corporate
disease is leadership! It will take strong leadership
to change the corporate culture from one that is sat-
isfied with cant and move it toward one of defining
how to move beyond the barriers.
Yet, despite our efforts and those of our sister
trade associations, and industry itself, to promote
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
21/84avionicsnews july2014 19
early equipage, the FAA is dragging its feet on the
incentive program by not signing the loan guarantee
certificate. Until they issue the loan guarantee cer-
tificates, nothing moves on this program.
Keep in mind; the monies raised for financing
these loans are from private investors. Our industry
is not asking for government money; we are only
asking for the FAA to immediately issue the loan
guarantee certificates as they were directed by
Congress to do so.
With these incentives in place, the industry has
indicated it still has the capacity to manage the
groundswell of installations, assuming aircraft own-
ers have renewed faith in the FAA, that the dead-
line will not be extended, and certifications will be
streamlined.
A recent survey of AEA members indicated that in
order to meet this new demand, more than 75 per-
cent of the 700 FAA-certified U.S. repair stations will
expand and hire more employees this is job creation!
A direct contributor of nearly $40 billion to the
U.S. gross domestic product according to the FAA
Air Traffic Organization general aviation is a
significant contributor to the overall health of the
economy.
If we are able to tackle the challenges I have
outlined, general aviation will continue to have apositive economic impact, create jobs, and sustain
our service to the law enforcement, agricultural and
medical communities that rely upon us.
In closing, we ask the administrator to begin
the long leadership recovery to restore the culture
of can do. It is the agencys historical culture that
created the greatest aviation industry in the world.
Without this leadership, the industry will continue to
suffer, and this mandate, as well as future mandates,
is destined to fail. In addition, the challenges we ask
Congress to address include:
1. An effort by the FAA to incentivize aircraft
owners by immediately signing the loan guarantee
certificate for the NextGen GA Fund.
2. Streamlining the certification process to pro-
duce efficiencies in ADS-B installations.
3. Restore aircraft owners confidence in the FAA
that this deadline wont be extended and their money
is well spent.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf
of the general aviation industry.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
United States
The following information is from the Aircraft
Electronics Associations Safety Management System.
QUESTION:What should be reported using the AEA SMS
Employee Hazard Identification Report?
ANSWER:Generally, any item of concern or
recommendation an employee has and would like
to present to management. Many managers and
supervisors are busy, and they often forget casual
conversations during the course of the workday. The
Employee Hazard Identification Report, in essence,
assists by submitting an electronic memo to the
safety manager that highlights significant issues.
At a minimum, the following types of events
should be reported. This is not an all-inclusive list.
The form should be used when the employee wants
to identify hazards and/or process improvements.
Near-miss events.
Human factors issues. Communication concerns.
Failure to adhere to established safety policies
and procedures.
Failure to adhere to established maintenance
policies and procedures.
Broken or inadequate equipment or procedures.
Environmental concerns.
Workplace hazards.
Concerns raised by third-parties (customers,
tenants, visitors, etc.).
Organizational process improvement.
SMS process improvement.
Note: The AEA offers Frequently Asked Questions to
foster greater understanding of the aviation regulations
and the rules governing the industry. The AEA strives to
ensure FAQs are as accurate as possible at the t ime of
publication; however, rules change. Therefore information
received from an AEA FAQ should be verified before being
relied upon. This information is not meant to serve as
legal advice. If you have particular legal questions, they
should be directed to an attorney. The AEA disclaims any
warranty for the accuracy of the information provided.
Continued on following page
5/20/2018 Avionics News 2014-07
22/8420 avionicsnews july2014
INTERNATIONAL NEWSContinued from page 19
CANADA
News & Regulatory Updates
First set of NPAs issued since CARACresumed activities in October 2013
Several NPAs (notice of approved amendments)
have been issued by Transport Canada Civil
Aviation covering a wide variety of regulations.
These are the first set of NPAs released since the
updated CARAC (Canadian Aviation Regulation
Advisory Council) process was introduced in
October 2103. During the plenary session, there
were many issues identified as high-priority tasks
to complete and included many long-standing
harmonization issues with the Federal Aviation
Administration.
NPA 2013-006 and 2013-007 are introducing
the lightning protection standards for rotorcraft in
AWM 527 and AWM 529. These changes bring the
lightning protection standards to be more consistentwith fixed-wing requirements and recognize that
complex avionics are being used in helicopters.
NPA 2104-008 was issued to correct the
language introduced in 2008 regarding cockpit
voice recorders and flight data recorders for AWM
527. The change in the language is not significant
in Canada but had operational impact in the U.S.
These NPAs were issued under the new simplified
process and will have a 30-day consultation period.
If there are no significant comments received,
these NPAs will be promulgated into the standardsthrough Gazette II30 days later.
NPA 2014-012 introduces the new 525.1302
for installed systems and equipment for use by
flight crew requirements. This is a harmonization
with the FAAs Part 25, which introduced this new
requirement in 2013. This new requirement puts
into the design standards the requirement for a
specified human factors evaluation of the cockpit
and installed equipment.
Exemption for installations of406 ELT reissued
The exemption to allow AMEs and AMOs to
install 406 megahertz emergency locator trans-
mitters without ratings for specialized avion-
ics maintenance was reissued. The exemption
expired March 31, 2014. The Transport Canada
website has not been updated with the new
exemption, but the content has not changed. A
copy of the exemption will be distributed soon.
EUROPE
News & Regulatory Updates
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency recently
announced a new proposal for the amendment
of the current regulation for flight recorders and
underwater locating devices.
The new proposed EASA requirement
identified in the Opinion 01/2014 includes the
extension of the transmission time of underwater
locating devices fitted on flight recorders from
30 days to 90 days, and also proposes to equip
large airplanes flying over oceans with a new
type of ULD that have longer locating range
than the current flight recorders. In addition, the
minimum recording duration of cockpit voice
recorders installed on new large airplanes shouldbe increased to 20 hours from two hours.
The proposed regulation also will include a
retroactive fit of a long-range detection ULD.
The EASA released a new NPA 2014-11 to
propose a clarification on the functions and
responsibilities of B1 and B2 support staff.
The proposed amendment would provide
detailed guidance for the use of support staff in
base maintenance of large and other-than-large
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Civil Aviation Safety AuthorityThe Australian governments Civil Aviation
Safety Authority removed:
AAC 9-4 List of CASA Historically
Accepted Aircraft Type Training Courses
Conducted by Overseas Equipment
Manufacturers, Operators and Training
Organizations.
AAC 9-5 Type Training Courses and
Examinations Conducted by Maintenance
Training Organizations Approved under
CAR 30.
AC 147-2 v5.1: Approved Part 147 Training
Organizations, published in May 2014, replacesthese two AACs.
The CASA published the following final
advisory circulars:
AC 21.J-01 v1.0 Approved design
organizations.
AC 21-14 v4.0 Production certificates.
AC 21-42 v2.0 Light sport aircraft
manufacturers requirements.
AC 21-50 Approval of software and
electronic hardware parts.
AC 66-5 v1.2 Using a Part 66 license to
provide certifications for completion of
aircraft maintenance under the Civil Aviation
Regulations 1988.
AC 147-2 v5.1: Approved Part 147 Training
Organizations. q
SOUTH PACIFIC
News & Regulatory Updates
aircraft. The proposal tries to specifically fillan existing gap in the current regulation in the
following areas:
The absence of criteria to qualify the personnel
in charge of performing and signing the
maintenance tasks during base maintenance
(personnel authorized to sign off).
The lack of a clear definition of the role
and responsibilities of the Part 66 licensed
B1 and B2 support staff.
Next to other changes l ike providing more
detailed criteria on the competency assessment
of support staff and mechanics authorized to sign
off, a new paragraph 145.A.32 has been created.
This new paragraph is exclusively dedicated
to qualification assessment, authorization and
privileges of maintenance personnel, including
authorized maintenance personnel, such as:
Certifying staff.
Support staff.
Personnel authorized to sign off
maintenance tasks.
Unauthorized maintenance personnel.
It should be noted that certifying staff and
support staff have a dedicated paragraph
(145.A.35) with more detailed requirements
regarding their qualification, assessment,
authorization and privileges.
A bilateral agreement between the Republicof Brazil and the European Union was signed
in 2010. In April, a technical implementation
procedure was issued to cover the cooperation
and mutual recognition of certification
and validation activities of the two related
airworthiness authorities, ANAC and EASA.
The TIP is providing guidance on the handling
of design approvals, export airworthiness
approvals and validation thereof.
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S T O R Y B Y D A V E H I G D O N
Forever immortal. Aviation, in less than a century,
established itself as a transportation mode
unparalleled in human history.
Along the way, an industry emerged credited with manu-
facturing several hundred thousand private aircraft and
thats just since World War II ended in 1945.
Think about it. Between Dec. 17, 1903, and July 20,
1969, less than 66 years, mankind soared from the sands of
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to the Sea of Tranquility on
the moon.
Between the end of World War II and 1980, U.S. aircraftmanufacturers shipped upward of 330,000 new aircraft.
Most of those aircraft continue to y today, albeit most of
them in conditions far from their original state.
Credit for their longevity belongs to the engineers and
manufacturers who originally produced aircraft with re-
markable lifespans. The average age for general aviation
aircraft is somewhere in the 37-year to 40-year range, de-
pending on the source of the number.
Credit for contributing to these far-beyond-expectation
lifespans continues to belong in large part to the aftermar-
ket businesses that develop and retrot engines, props and,
most importantly, for improving utility beyond performance
alone avionics.
Thanks to avionics, an airplane made 40, 50, even 60-
plus years ago can y with avionics comparable with even
identical to avionics in the best of todays new-production
aircraft.
Thanks to avionics makers and the shops they work with,
general aviation aircraft owners can continue to upgrade,
enhance and improve their decades-old aircraft to offer the
same capabilities and utility as an all-new airplane pro-duced last week.
Ask many pilots and aircraft owners, and theyll note
how much they wish powerplants and props enjoyed the
same degree of advancement and improvement as avionics.
The owners and pilots of older aircraft, often ying on
original-equipment instruments and gyros, remain prime
candidates for serially updating older aircraft and, in the
process, helping repair shops build long-term rapport with
aviators who could become long-term clients.
One key is to help an owner navigate through the myriad
Immortal aviationand the avionics RxAiding owners in upgrade decisions for older aircraft
IMMORTAL AVIATION:
As long as engines can be rebuilt, propellers
overhauled, interiors replaced and avionics upgraded, some
will look at an elderly design, recognize its genetic roots in a design
still in production, and recognize that anything the new plane can do the old
plane can be equipped to do. How does an avionics repair shop help pilots and aircraft
owners determine whether upgrading, trading or retiring the aircraft actually serves best?
i ndus t r y
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Continued on following page
options and opportunities accessible with an avionics up-
grade. Another is in helping the owner differentiate between
equipment thats high in cool, and equipment that improves
the utility or safety of the aircraft. Acknowledged, depend-
ing on the pilot, much equipment may click as both cool
and practical.
The customer should be able to clear up this point. Deal-
ers and shops should be able to help them nd gear that
keeps their aircraft viable years into the future.
Thankfully, a host of options ex-ist, and some simply improve on
existing functions with more-ef-
cient, lighter units to perform those
same functions.
Other options hold the promise
of enhancing or otherwise improv-
ing operational utility by providing
use options unavailable before.
Think of the LPV approach capa-
bility available from TSOd WAAS
GPS navigators.
Still, other options deliver im-
proved hazard-avoidance abilities,
while some allow the delivery
of satellite- or ground-broadcast
weather graphics, lightning or traf-
c.
Modern avionics wont make an airplane faster or more
fuel efcient. But an argument can be made that modern
avionics can improve aircraft efciency by reducing empty
weight.
In fact, little of what pilots today covet in avionics even
existed in the year of manufacture of the average-age pri-vate aircraft.
For any aircraft with original equipment, the options are
more vast than practical. But practical options do exist to
give panels a step up, a step ahead, and a step into the 21st
century.
A deep pool of prospects
As usual, this years annual Sun n Fun International Fly-
In in Lakeland, Florida, attracted more than a few geriatric
aircraft, in some cases own by pilots of similar age, in oth-
ers by aviators young enough to be the aircrafts children.
The older they were, the deeper the story to accompany
each of these elderly aeronautical conveyances. Often, the
story involved the aviation equivalent of an end-of-life
decision for an inanimate object with as much emotional
weight as a blood relative for those who owned the old
birds.
With new-aircraft prices beyond the reach of all but
a few hundred customers each year, sustaining a viable
aircraft population depends more onbuilders of experimental aircraft and
owners of older aircraft opting to keep
them ying into the future.
The future includes some equip-
ment-update mandates that, when
announced, raised questions about the
mandates potential to accelerate a
eet decline as owners opted to scrap
or retire otherwise viable, airworthy
aircraft because of an early belief that
meeting the mandate would require
spending more than the aircrafts fair
market value.
Fortunately, those cost fears are
declining with each new advance in
technology that offers a lower-cost
option for complying with the Federal
Aviation Administrations 2020 ADS-B Out mandate.
But, this is one narrow area that, in reality, is already
resolvable with the equivalent of a new transponder; a plug-
and-play option is in the ofng, with a further cost reduc-
tion.
The issue comes into play every time something majorbreaks, fails or faces a replacement need. For example, do
aircraft owners sustain an analog panel or start adding digi-
tal equipment to the panel?
No question, the options for investing in an older aircraft
have seldom been broader, deeper or more confusing for the
owners who dont devote all their spare time to stay abreast
of advances in avionics upgrade options.
T H A N K S TO AV I O N I C S M A K E R S
A N D T H E S H O P S T H E Y W O R K
W I T H , G E N E R A L A V I A T I O N
A I R C R A F T O W N E R S C A N
C O N T I N U E T O U P G R A D E ,
E N H A N C E A N D I M P R O V E
T H E I R D E C A D E S - O L D
A I R C R A F T T O O F F E R T H E S A M E
C A P A B I L I T I E S A N D U T I L I T YA S A N A L L - N E W A I R P L A N E
P R O D U C E D L A S T W E E K .
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Market price, owner value
It takes less than an investment genius to fathom an owner
hesitating to put $30,000 worth of avionics into an aircraft
worth barely $20,000. Despite the popular image, owners of
such aircraft routinely add new capabilities and newer avionics
to their 20-, 25-, 30-, 40- and 50-year-old aircraft. Operational
requirements prompt some; utility needs drive others.
But in the end, its less about whether
the owner can ever recoup the invest-
ment. No, in the end, its all about sat-
isfying the owners ambitions, desires
and needs, and theres a bit of relativityto this.
For example, a $20,000-aircraft own-
er sets his value expectations based on
reviews of used-aircraft advertisements,
in print, online, and if a realistic thinker,
aligns that value judgment with ads that
most-closely match the owned aircraft.
Consider a basic four-seat single, sev-
eral thousand airframe hours, mid-time
engine, 40 years old or older, with vin-
tage 1960s avionics; but its airworthy,
in annual, and up-to-date on airworthi-
ness directives and service bulletins.
Strategizing an update for this panel
offers considerable latitude on how to
update. For the pilot ying behind a couple of analog, wafer-
switch-tuned nav/comms with no storage or memory and no
ip-op capabilities, a step up would be a model a decade
newer with digital tuning displays and, at a minimum, ip-op
frequency selection.
For low-four gures, the pilot gets a modern radio. Ditto for
a second-generation IFR GPS in place of a VHF nav or, better,
a now-useless Loran C.Step up a level in audio panel and, without breaking into
ve gures, the smart-shopping owner and helpful avionics
repair shop can give the old airplane signicant new capability
and utility.
As a package, this can be accomplished without breaking
into ve gures, according to estimates from a number of
repair shops contacted in the blind. And the high-four-gure
still constitutes a step up but without the long ve-gure leap
of jumping into one of the newer all-in-one GPS/MFD/nav/
comm boxes.
Its all relative, and relative most of all to the intent and
value perception of the pilot. For the pilot upgrading for
his or her own utility, for an airplane thats their keeper,
straying into higher-dollar upgrades may not be a deal
breaker.
Upgrade-path options
Peering into the cockpit of the typical 1950s to 1990s
single typically takes the viewer time traveling back to
those eras. No avoiding the reality: Equipment in those
old stacks often lasts as long as the
airframes carrying them albeit not
always with the same level of utility.
The FAA is retiring most non-di-
rectional beacons, and the time is notlong off before only those reliable old
broadcast AM radio stations will offer
an NDB a signal to point toward. The
VOR (VHF omnidirectional range)
network will shrink.
Some older analog-tuned VHF
comm radios work on only half the
available U.S. frequencies and cant
be used at all in other jurisdictions.
And the continued presence of once-
state-of-the-art Loran C navigators
still bafes; Loran C shut down in the
U.S. years ago, rendering the naviga-
tors dead weight.
Of course, weve yet to touch on
the prospects for upgrading ight and air-data instruments
an entirely different level of options and considerations.
We touched briey on the prospects for improving an
older panel with a decade-forward step in nav/comms. Con-
sider these other areas where the pilot and aircraft could
benet from more-modern equipment.
Area navigation: For now, its all GPSThe earliest IFR-approved GPS navigators hit the general
aviation market 20 years ago, something Garmin celebrated
in February of this year. It was February 1994, just two
months after the FAA declared initial operational capacity
for the GPS network. With the GPS 155 TSOd, pilots for
the rst time could use GPS as their primary guidance for
an entire IMC ight departure through en route phase,
approach and landing.
Other models and other companies quickly followed,
and though WAAS GPS approved under newer TSOs offers
IMMORTAL AVIATION
Continued from page 23
TH E OW NER S AN D PI LO TS OF
OLDER AIRCRAFT, OFTEN FLYING
ON ORIGINAL-EQUIPMENT
INSTRUMENTS AND GYROS,
REMAIN PRIME CA NDIDATES
FOR SERIALLY UPDATING OLDER
AIRCRAFT AND, IN THE PROCESS,
HELPING REPAIR SHOPS BUILD
LONG-TERM RAPPORT WIT H
AVIATORS WHO COULD BECOME
LONG-TERM CLIENTS.
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greater precision and far more instrument-use options, the
original TSO units can, if still supported with database up-
dates, continue to perform and at prices for less than the
lowest-cost WAAS units.
Another option with growing potential: Garmin 400- and
500-series navigators now that Garmin and Avidyne both
offer replacements with far greater performance, better
screens and more utility options. These can even be upgrad-
ed to WAAS and still come in well below the costs of new.
And dont forget stand-alone GPS navigators other man-
ufacturers TSOd. For low-four gures, one of these TSOd
units can give the same pilot some excellent improvement
in utility providing that database updates are reliably
available to bring new utility to IFR operations.
About those VHF nav/comm options
As many pilots of my acquaintance understand, you can
adapt to make many awkward tasks less clumsy but never
really make them smooth. Pilots ying with two non-ip-
op navs, comms or nav/comms adapt to the lack of that
feature which they probably used in training by writing
down each new frequency change from ATC. They then
twist the knobs on the radio not used to set that frequency,
then hit the audio-panel switch to change which radio they
broadcast with, leaving the old frequency in the other VHF-
radios window. Next time they get a frequency update,
they repeat the process in the opposite direction.
With ip-op, they can stick with one radio for active,
monitor guard on the second radio, and be ready to jump
ahead a second and third frequency by having them ready
in the second set of windows on the second ip-op radio.
The options here are signicant and affordable, rela-
tively.
Transponders?
Heres the topic of the decade among a lot of older-
aircraft owners specically in light of the pending ADS-B
mandate of Jan. 1, 2020.Barring a transponder failure as the catalyst, this equip-
ment decision is likely best made in conjunction with de-
ciding how the aircraft owner plans to equip the aircraft to
meet the mandate.
Nothing wrong with now, but considering the growing
list of options, waiting another year or two might not hurt
too much, provided shops can handle the demand closer to
the deadline.
Options already exist priced comparably to a Mode S
transponder without an ADS-B Out connection but with
all the bases covered: GPS position source, broadcasting
on both Out frequencies (978 megahertz universal access
transceiver and 1090 extended squitter), receiving 978 MHz
UAT ADS-B In services, with a wireless link to show ADS-
B In products on a portable computer in the cockpit.
So on this one, consider recommending the pilot/aircraft
owner decide on an approach and then see if lower-cost
options t. But insiders among regulators and FAA ofcials
all recommend planning to complete the project before the
end of 2018 to avoid an expected backlog.
Autopilots? Dare we consider one?
The move to digital autopilots as aircraft owners upgrade
to glass cockpit packages is putting a lot of older ight-
control systems out of work or, at least, the brains ofthese systems, since the servos often get to stay behind in
the aircraft.
This means options for those older analog autopilots
many of which offer signicant functions for reasonable
costs. And for many older-aircraft operators, the prospect
of adding or replacing an older electronic or pneumatic
system can be a boon to their ying.
For the pilot who has long own without, the option of
a still-useful second pilot option will be more than a little
attractive.
How to proceed: All at once? On an annual
(or other) progression?
As one pilot at Sun n Fun said, Upgrades come to suit
me and my needs, and have to fall within my budget. And
every year or two we make that budget t in some type of
improvement or another because itll be my kids who have
to deal with selling the old bird. It meets our needs. So like
the song said, love the one youre with. And we do.
Another pilot noted he and his airplane partner try to up-
grade something every annual.
Yet another was adamant that the smartest approach is to
decide whats important and necessary; price the package asa single project and start saving.
When you get within six months of having enough, or-
der and schedule, said the owner, who confessed he does
this with a different airplane every ve or six years.
Determining the approach to take is as personal and indi-
vidual as the aircraft-and-owner combination.
But with careful planning and shopping, many aircraft
owners can nd a more-modern panel in their future, and
the repair shops that land the business can nd other needs
to help keep a customer long-term.q
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GAM supports
busy Australiancharter fleet
THE GAM GROUP
GENERAL AVIATION
MAINTENANCE
MeMber
PROFILE
S T O R Y B Y C H R I S T I N E K N A U E R
A
t Essendon Airport near Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia, General Aviation Maintenance
supports one of the regions busiest charter
operations, GAM Air. With more than 32 aircraft,
GAM Air is one of the largest privately owned and
operated charter fleets on the island continent. Both
are subsidiaries of The GAM Group, which owns
several general aviation companies throughout
Australia.
GAM is the largest operator of Twin Commander
Shrike 500 aircraft in the world, and is the factory
authorized service center for Twin Commander
aircraft here in Australia, said Carl Jepsen, GAMs
chief executive officer.
The current fleet includes twin-engine Aero
Commander 500, 680 and 690 series, used
predominately for parcel freight and charter flights
on the eastern and southern coasts of Australia, as
well as tuna spotting for the fishing industry. Three
Dornier 228 aircraft provide daily passenger service
for the mining industry from the companys Brisbane
base to Chinchilla, Queensland.
GAMs 60 employees help keep the fleet flying
LOCATION:
Essendon AirportHangar 1Wirraway RoadEssendon, Victoria, Australia 304
At its Brisbane Airport service center in Queensland, Australia,
GAM maintains three Dornier 228 aircra used for daily
passenger service for the mining industry.
from its bases in Essendon, Melbourne, Brisbane,
Sydney and Adelaide. Experienced technicians at the
companys Essendon and Brisbane facilities handle
heavy maintenance, while contractors provide minor
maintenance and checks in remote areas. Technicians
at other locations provide line service and minor
modifications.
Hangar and line maintenance are fully supported
and, except for gas turbine overhaul, which is
outsourced, most other components are also
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Continued on following page
WHAT THEY DO:GAM handles aircr
maintenance and repairs for the
companys charter operator, GAM
AEA MEMBER SINCE:2013
PHONE: 61-3-9379-1019
WEBSITE: www.gamgroup.net
EMPLOYEES:60
supported by our electrical, battery, hydraulic, wheels
and brakes shops, Jepsen said.
While technicians stay busy maintaining GAMs own
aircraft, they also take time to provide routine checks for
the Royal Flying Doctor Services eet of King Airs, as
well as other operators of Twin Commanders in the region.
The nonprot Royal Flying Doctor Service provides health
care and emergency services to rural Australia.
We also carry out full stripping, corrosion control and
painting for our eet, as well as many other customers, such
as Erickson, which operates a eet of helicopters and sky
cranes from here during the re season, Jepsen said.
Expanding into avionics, instruments
In January, GAM expanded its capabilities by adding a
50-square-meter avionics component shop inside hangar
two. The shop can inspect and service most of the typical
cockpit instruments tted to GAM Airs eet.
FACILITIES:Australian locations in
Essendon, Melbourne, Brisbane,
Sydney and Adelaide
FOUNDED:1983 by Steve Nott
Photo by Krzysztof Kaszubski
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Technicians also help maintain GAM Airs