"WHAT KEEPS ME UP, FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS THE PROBLEM OF TRYING TO REPLACE EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS WITH NEW TECHS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF TROUBLESHOOTING SKILLS AT THE COMPONENT AND AIRCRAFT LEVELS." MARK COTE, DUNCAN AVIATION Photo courtesy of Duncan Aviation market may be positively impacted due to an uptick in the aircraft equipage rate ahead of the FAA's 2020 deadline for ADS-B Out avionics. The retrofit surge also could be partially attributed to the possibility that aircraft owners are choosing to have additional avionics work done while simultaneously coming into ADS-B compliance. Many avionics shops are telling us that aircraft owners are electing to order full-panel avionics upgrades rather than just the ADS-B equipment. It will be interesting to see whether the retrofit market continues to grow significantly in the next two years as the mandate draws closer." But for too many avionics shop owners and managers, even with the good sales news, there are still those nights where all sorts of unsettling thoughts creep into their dreams and leave them staring at the ceiling. So, in an ongoing effort to provide AEA members with useful information, Avionics News contacted an array of avionics shop owners and managers to see what keeps them up at night and what they're doing about it. Continued on following page avionics news * april 2018 55