Avionics News August 2013 - 51

“When it comes to business development, I don’t
think you can look only at what people have done,
or can do, to increase productivity. My vision was
we must work on larger aircraft and increase, for
example, our parts billing over our labor cost.”

BRIAN WILSON

These days, my main focus is on new products, marketing and
learning from my team what’s working and what’s not. When I
came aboard, we had no STCs; today, we’re in the process of
doing our third. We’re moving forward, and have expanded our
maintenance capabilities so we can do new avionics installs at
the same time we perform major inspections.
What’s the next big thing for the industry?
High-speed data and connectivity is keeping everyone rolling forward. But future air navigation systems are starting to be
of great interest to our customers. A third thing is retrofitting
glass cockpits – price points are coming down and exchanging
CRTs for flat panels is taking off. It will be a big deal in 18 to 24
months, especially in South Florida, where they’ve always been
a tough sell.
We’re mostly talking Gulfstreams and Falcons, but will that
trickle down to turboprops?
Absolutely.
Looking back, what do you consider to have
been the biggest change to the industry?
How technology has improved reliability, and how maintenance and repair organizations have had to adapt. When I broke
into the industry, about half the avionics people were bench
techs. I changed vacuum tubes when I was in the Navy. That has
gone away. Component repairs at individual shops might be 20
hours a week, total. Exchanging a unit is the norm these days.
The business model of doing bench-level repairs? It’s gone away.
Every shop I used to work for had bench technicians when I was
there. Now, none of them do.
Another one is the ease of installation. Older cabin entertainment systems required a lot of wires, which were a pain. Mod-

ern systems require simply running a cable, thanks to power
over Ethernet, from one switch panel to another.
What’s going to be the next big thing for the
Aircraft Electronics Association?
The AEA has to continue letting its membership know it’s
there for them. It’s not a for-profit organization just trying to run
some conventions. I’m always amazed at the commitment from
Paula Derks and her team, Greg Vail, our past chairman, and Ric
Peri, doing the regulatory policy work. So I think we need to continue letting our members know we’re all in this together, we’re
here for them, and their feedback is important.
Looking back on your career so far, do you have any regrets?
Yes; I had set my vision too low early in my career. I love what
I do, and I think I could have given more if I hadn’t wanted to
stay in South Florida. I turned down an offer to join Gulfstream in
Savannah, for example, but I should have given it more consideration at the time.
But one of the things I really like about this industry is the
people and the networking opportunities. There are some great
people in this industry, and that’s one of the reasons we need to
bring in more youngsters.
What do you do for recreation?
I’m a runner; I work out seven to 10 times a week. Also, we
bought a fixer-upper condo in Key Largo several years ago, where
we keep a boat. It’s a great way to spend time with the family.
What about your family?
Jamie and I have been married 28 years. My daughter, Brittany, is 18, just graduated high school and is starting college. My
son, Brandon, starts his senior year in high school next year. q
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Avionics News August 2013

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