RENO, Nev., March 22, 2011 — Nearly 1,400 avionics manufacturers, dealers, installers and other general aviation professionals have converged at the 54th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show, at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., scheduled from March 22-25.

The AEA convention is the preeminent venue dedicated solely to the general aviation avionics industry. Not open to the public, this 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 International Convention & Trade Show is a must-attend gathering for growing their businesses, training their technicians and meeting with their customers.
The four-day event features:

• More than 30 new avionics products and systems being introduced.
• More than 75 hours of technical and business management training sessions.
• An Exhibit Hall filled with the latest avionics technologies.
• The latest regulatory updates with international agency personnel.
• More than $100,000 in scholarships awarded to avionics and aviation maintenance students.
• Unique social events and networking opportunities with industry colleagues.
• Recognition of Ron Hall, former employee of Duncan Aviation, as the recipient of the 2011 AEA Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition, the AEA Educational Foundation, in partnership with the National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies (NCATT), will offer registered attendees free Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) certification and endorsement exams, March 23-25. Attendees may test their knowledge in achieving the NCATT’s highly regarded avionics technician certification. This $100 value is only available through the AEA at the convention.

LIVE STREAMING AVAILABLE
The Aero-News Network will produce live programming throughout the week. ANN’s team of reporters will be live-streaming AEA’s ever-popular New Product Introductions Session, and will produce fast-paced high-tech “live interviews” on the AEA Exhibit Hall floor. The live streaming will be available online at: www.aea.net.

AEA ANNUAL AWARDS
The 2011 AEA Member of the Year and Associate Member of the Year will be announced during the AEA Annual Awards luncheon on Thursday, March 24. Last year’s winners were Rick Ochs of Spirit Avionics, Columbus, Ohio, who was named the 2010 AEA Member of the Year, and DAC International, named the 2010 Associate Member of the Year.

The nominees for the 2011 Member of the Year are:

• Don Dominguez, San Luis Avionics, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
• Gunter Hemmel, Avionik Straubing GmbH, Germany.
• Arnold Hill, Des Moines Flying Service, Des Moines, Iowa.
• Fabian Oyarbide, Redimec SRL, Argentina.
• Rick Peavley, Vero Beach Avionics, Vero Beach, Fla.

The nominees for the 2011 Associate Member of the Year are:

• Flight Display Systems, Alpharetta, Ga.
• Garmin, Olathe, Kan.
• Mid-Continent Instruments, Wichita, Kan.
• PS Engineering, Lenoir City, Tenn.

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
John Nance, best known to television viewers as the aviation analyst for ABC World News and aviation editor for “Good Morning America,” will speak at the Annual Awards Luncheon on Thursday, March 24.

An internationally recognized air safety analyst, Nance has made several appearances on national shows such as “Larry King Live,” “PBS Hour with Jim Lehrer,” “Oprah,” “NPR,” “Nova” and “The Today Show,” and has authored 19 major books.

Nance was named the 2002 Distinguished Alumnus of Southern Methodist University, where he holds a bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctor from the SMU School of Law. He is a decorated Air Force pilot veteran of Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Nance is one of the civilian pioneers of Crew Resource Management (CRM) and has piloted a wide variety of jet aircraft.

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA:
High-resolution photos of John Nance, as well as the Aircraft Electronics Association logo, are available online at: www.aea.net/pressroom/imagegallery.asp.

For more information on the 54th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show, visit the AEA website at www.aea.net/convention.