Avionics News July 2017 - 10

In this monthly column, Ric Peri of the AEA's Washington, D.C., office, informs members of the latest regulatory updates.

B Y

R I C

P E R I
A EA V I C E P R ES I D E N T O F G OV E R N M E N T & I N D U ST RY A F FA I RS

Introducing...

The AEA
Technology Incubator

ixty years ago, in 1957, avionics industry
professionals got together and chartered a
group to facilitate communication between
the avionics field businesses and the manufacturers that
designed, built and supported the radios and instruments
relied upon by the industry. As a result, the Aircraft
Electronics Association was born.
Today, six decades later, the association's primary
objective is still the same: communication. The association
still facilitates communication between dealers and
manufacturers, but also between the industry and
legislators; the industry and civil aviation authorities; and
the industry with itself - shop to shop, region to region,
and country to country. The thousands of technicians
represented by AEA member companies worldwide
benefit from these cross-border communications that
the association facilitates with its manufacturers and
their counterparts, such as the annual AEA International
Convention & Trade Show and seven regional AEA
Connect Conferences, where AEA members can personally
connect.
The association continues its communication role
well beyond these annual meeting functions. Nearly
every month, the AEA plays host to various training and
professional development courses at its international
headquarters.
For example, there is a five-day regulatory training
course scheduled in July, and six technical courses
10

avionics news

july

2017

scheduled in August. The association also offers nearly
two dozen on-demand web-based training courses for AEA
member shops as part of their membership benefits.
In addition to the structured organizational meetings and
the formal training, the association fosters communication
between the industry and the authorities by conducting
topic-specific roundtables and forums to address regulatory
challenges and changes, along with advancements in
technologies, manufacturing processes and regulatory
oversight.
As another example, the AEA has introduced its newest
annual forum - the AEA Technology Incubator.
The goal of the AEA Technology Incubator is simple and
straightforward:
* Encourage new technologies.
* Promote the development of safety-enhancing
technologies.
* Facilitate and encourage the communications
between these new aviation entrants and the Federal
Aviation Administration.
The association, along with the general aviation
community, has spent the past decade revising and
simplifying the regulatory structure of Part 23. During this
process, the FAA, as well as worldwide authorities, have
embraced a risk-based approach to regulations commonly
known as the safety continuum. A fundamental premise of
the Part 23 rewrite is to produce and install technology that
doubles safety while reducing the cost by half.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2017