For more information, contact Trisha Drape,
director of communications for the AEA, at 816-347-8400 or trishad@aea.net.
For immediate release:
April 8, 2015

With several new avionics products set to debut, the four-day event is the largest wholesale avionics show in the general aviation industry.

DALLAS, TEXAS, April 8, 2015 -- More than 1,500 avionics manufacturers, repair stations, installers and other general aviation professionals have converged at the 58th annual Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention & Trade Show, which opened today at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas. The four-day event takes place April 8-11, and it is the largest gathering of avionics manufacturers, distributors and government-certified repair stations in the world.

The AEA Convention is the preeminent venue dedicated solely to the general aviation avionics industry. The event's primary focus is providing avionics professionals with educational and marketing opportunities between equipment manufacturers, distributors and government-certified repair stations. The general aviation avionics community knows the AEA Convention is a must-attend gathering for growing their businesses, training their technicians and meeting with their dealer network.

Avionics professionals will experience the following highlights during the week, just to name a few.

• Opening address from FAA Deputy Administrator and Chief NextGen Offier Michael Whitaker, April 8.
• More than 30 companies will participate in the AEA New Product Introductions session, April 8.
• The 2014 year-end AEA Avionics Market Report will be unveiled April 9, to reflect the monetary size of the general aviation avionics market.
• Jane Poynter, chief executive officer of World View, will give the keynote address on April 9. Poynter hopes to bring the company's proprietary high-altitude balloons and tethered space capsule into suborbital flight by the end of 2016.
• More than 75 hours of regulatory, technical and business management training and professional development, all approved for credit toward the AEA's Avionics Training Excellence Award, as well as accepted for FAA IA renewal and the AMT Awards Program. 
• A sold-out Exhibit Hall filled with the latest avionics technologies and more than 135 exhibitors.
• The latest regulatory updates with international agency personnel.
• Presentation of the AEA Lifetime Achievement Award to Gary Kelley, a retired Garmin executive.
• Recognition of the 2015 AEA Member of the Year Award recipient.
• Recognition of the 2015 AEA Associate Member of the Year Award recipient.
• Live-streaming on the AEA website of the Opening Session, New Product Introductions and live Exhibit Hall coverage.
• Free Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) certification and endorsement exams to convention attendees, courtesy of the AEA Educational Foundation and its partnership with the National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies (NCATT) and ASTM International. Attendees may test their knowledge in achieving the NCATT's highly regarded avionics technician certification, and this $100 value is only available through the AEA at the convention.

OFFICIAL OPENING AND NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS LIVE-STREAMING
One of the most popular sessions each year is the AEA New Product Introductions during the opening session, sponsored by Pacific Southwest Instruments. This must-see event takes place Wednesday, April 8, and it continues to draw the attention of the entire general aviation community. In addition, each NPI presentation will be syndicated to dozens of popular E-media and aviation websites, such as YouTube.

AEA AWARDS NOMINEES
The 2015 AEA Member of the Year and Associate Member of the Year will be announced during the AEA Opening Session, April 8.  

The nominees for the 2015 AEA Member of the Year are:

• Joe Braddock, Southeast Aerospace
• Roger Dahler, Avionics Specialist
• James Miller, Brazos Avionics
• Fabian Oyarbide, Redimec s.r.l.

The nominees for the 2015 Associate Member of the Year are:

• ACR Artex
• Bose Corp.
• Genesys Aerosystems
• Kadx Aero Supply
• L-3 Aviation Products
• Trig Avionics Ltd.

AEA CONVENTION MOBILE APP
For more information and a complete schedule of events, along with directions to download the AEA Convention mobile app, click here.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
The official hashtag for the AEA Convention is #AEA15. Stay connected with AEA Convention updates by following the AEA on Twitter @AEA_aero and liking the AEA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AircraftElectronicsAssociation.