Avionics News February 2014 - 41

How long have you been ﬂying?

My ﬂying career started more than 20 years ago in a Beech
Sundowner while attending the University of Illinois. They had a
great aviation training program where I earned my private and
instrument ratings. From there, I went to ﬂight school at Naval Air
Station in Whiting, Fla., ﬂying the T34C and TH57 (Bell Ranger).
Later, I was stationed at MCAS Miramar where I ﬂew CH53E helicopters during three deployments in the Persian Gulf, and later
instructed in T34C and BE200s at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
before retiring.
What aircraft do you ﬂy?

I ﬂy our company's experimental Turbo Lance, which is used
to ﬂight test new avionics products and software upgrades. I also
ﬂy my family around the country in our SR22. It is really comfortable and convenient for my family of four to go on long trips. It
is a great aircraft made even better with the Aspen glass cockpit
suite installed.
What is your favorite aircraft to ﬂy?

Flying a large assault helicopter at 200 feet and below in terrain
is hard to beat, although aerobatics in a T34C is a lot of fun, too.
I would have to give the nod to the CH53E helicopter. I loved the
challenge of landing on the pitching deck of an amphibious assault
ship at night or dropping oﬀ a reconnaissance team and their vehicles in a dusty landing zone in the middle of the desert. Conducting aerial refueling operations behind a C-130 also ranks up there
as some real challenging ﬂying. Additionally, there is just something
about the unique sound the CH53E's rotors make.
How does being a pilot impact your job?

My primary job at Aspen Avionics is ensuring we operate our
experimental ﬂight test aircraft and sales support aircraft in a safe
and professional manner. Understanding the rules and regulations
that govern ﬂight operations is paramount. A well-rounded aviation
background is essential in performing my job.
I also ﬂight test new avionics products. I love being on the forefront of the latest technology. At Aspen, we have a great engineering
team. It is truly amazing to see how creative and resourceful they
are in developing aﬀordable and reliable avionics that greatly improve safety and situational awareness for the general aviation pilot.
What's even more remarkable is that these displays are compatible

with most existing installed equipment. That's our sweet spot.
The favorite part of my job is I get to ﬂy to events like AirVenture and talk to fellow pilots about our products, show them
how they work and also get feedback on what they would like
to see in the future. Aspen Avionics realizes the key to our
success in the future is providing our customers with intuitive
products that enhance their safety and the safety of the people that travel with them.
What are your current ratings?

*
*
*
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Commercial, Single Engine Land and Instrument
Commercial, Multiengine Land and Instrument
CFII and MEI
BE200 type rating

As a pilot, what are your thoughts on new technologies?

New technologies that increase pilots' situational awareness,
such as Aspen's synthetic vision and upcoming ADS-B solutions,
really excite me. Two common causes of general aviation mishaps
are controlled ﬂight into terrain and continued ﬂight into severe
weather. These two technologies greatly enhance a pilot's situational awareness when ﬂying IFR or low-visibility conditions, especially when being vectored oﬀ airways in mountainous terrain
or when ﬂying an approach down to minimums in the Midwest.
On my return trip from AirVenture, while approaching the Sandia Mountains, the typical New Mexico weather pattern of afternoon thunderstorms started displaying on my MFD. I was able to
use that information strategically by informing air traﬃc control
I wanted to re-route south of the weather 80 miles before I was
near them. Once clear, I used synthetic vision/terrain awareness
to ensure my oﬀ-airway routing was clear of the terrain I would
have to navigate to get back home.
Not only do these technologies give a pilot the foresight on
changing terrain and weather conditions, they also provide early
warning of traﬃc that a busy ATC controller may miss.
New technologies designed to enhance situational awareness
are going a long way in improving the general aviation safety record. It is great to be part of such an innovative organization focused on improving situational awareness in the cockpit. 
Would you like to be featured in AEAviators? Contact Geoﬀ
Hill at geoffh@aea.net or 816-347-8400 to discover how.
AVIONICS NEWS

FEBRUARY

2014

Avionics News February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News February 2014