Avionics News March 2012 - 43

Past Recipients of the AEA Lifetime Achievement Award: 2011 Ron Hall Duncan Aviation 2010 Dan Walker King Radio Corp. 2009 Robert Carpenter Owner, Carpenter Avionics 2008 Tom Sternig President, Aircraft Electronics Ltd. Paul Brenner President, Flight Components Bruce Baxter Partner, Chapman Avionics 2007 Monte Mitchell Past President, AEA 2006 John Winter Founder, Mid-Continent Instruments Co. 2005 Jack Grose President, Navair Ltd. 2004 Gary Burrell Co-Founder, Garmin International 2003 George Lewison Aviation Engineer, Author 2002 Edward King Jr. Founder, King Radio Corp. 2001 Robert Kauffman Founder, Electrosonics
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Paul Ryan to Receive AEA Lifetime Achievement Award

aul Ryan is the honoree of the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the Aircraft Electronics Association’s board of directors, the AEA Lifetime Achievement Award. He will be recognized during the official opening ceremonies at the 55th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show, April 4. At an early age, his love for electronics and aviation was evident. He became a licensed amateur radio operator at the age of 13. Ryan attended Ohio State University, earned a degree in electrical engineering and continued advanced studies in physics. He established Dytronics Co. Inc., and a number of products were designed and sold to companies engaged in the new aerospace efforts. Simultaneously, the inertial navigation system was considered the most promising method for both space navigation and long-range terrestrial navigation. The technology of the INS required astonishing complexity, including the need for a much better means of generating and measuring electrical phase angles. As the U.S. Air Force solicited proposals for this need, Ryan envisioned a new method for doing this, which was based entirely on fundamental scientific principles. By making null adjustments to simultaneously solve a couple of simple electrical equations, he realized that precise phase angles could be synthesized with remarkable precision. The resulting primary phase angle standard was quickly recognized, accepted

and adopted by the metrology laboratories of all branches of the military, NATO nations and major aerospace contractors. While piloting a single-engine airplane traveling to serve customer needs, Ryan had a shocking experience with the encounter of a thunderstorm. With a strong desire to help pilots avoid the dangers of thunderstorms, he worked on a solution. The resulting product was the Ryan Stormscope. The highly successful product generated a 360-degree map around the aircraft for pilot viewing of lightning activity. It was sold to the 3M Co. in 1981. Today, it is owned and marketed by L-3 Avionics Systems. More than 50,000 Stormscope units are flying today. Following the sale of Stormscope, Ryan founded Ryan International Corp. Under his direction, Ryan International developed world-class TAS products, triumphing over the challenges with uncommon creativity. In 2005, Ryan International Corp. merged with Avidyne Inc. The combined companies brought together avionics visionaries and extended Avidyne’s capabilities and market reach. q
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2012

Avionics News March 2012

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