Stewart Dimon began his career in avionics in 1989, when he was a partner in a ground-support equipment company. Dimon took an interest in radios, gathered knowledge and began buying and selling avionics in 1992.

Dimon became more involved with the AEA in 1995, when he began working in sales and flightline administration for an FAA 145 that was an AEA member, and he attended numerous regional and national meetings for networking and training.

He began working for TexasGYRO in Fort Worth, Texas in 2004, and TexasGYRO became an AEA member the same year, exhibiting at the AEA International Convention and hosting radar system training classes. Currently, Dimon is the sales and logistics manager for TexasGYRO, which specializes in aircraft weather radar and aircraft flightline avionics services.

David Loso has been in business aviation for 33 years. He began his career with Cessna at the Wichita Citation Service Center as an avionics technician. Loso also has served in positions with Rockwell Collins in Wichita, Kan., and Garrett Aviation in Houston for almost 18 years.

Loso returned to his hometown of St. Louis, Mo., in 1998, as director of avionics for JetCorp and then moved to Premier Air Center four years later as director of avionics. Loso has been in avionics sales since 2005, first with Jet Aviation in West Palm Beach and now with Jet Aviation St. Louis as a result of the merger of Midcoast Aviation with Jet Aviation.

Loso has served on the advisory board for the Alexandria Technical College avionics program, the school he graduated from, and has been selected to serve on many of the major avionics manufacturer advisory boards. He served as a member of the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Business Aircraft Association for four years, having volunteered to fill the remaining term of a board member who was unable to complete their term. Loso began serving on the AEA board of directors in April 2009.

Kent McIntyre of Bevan-Rabell Inc. often rode with his uncle, a World War II pilot, in the 1970s. He began taking lessons in the summer of 1976, and it wasn’t long until he was working in the shop and pumping gas at the airport in Wellington, Kan.

McIntyre began college in 1976, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1983. He was out of aviation off and on for a couple of years, then worked for Mike Kelley Aircraft, now AirPlains Services, for several years. He began working for Bevan-Rabell Inc. in 1989, as the shop manager with virtually no avionics experience except flying. He worked as an avionics and sales manager until 2001, and bought the business from Bob Patterson.

Bevan Radio was started in 1954 by Ralph Bevan. He also began Rabell Electronics, partly as a warranty repair shop for ARC. The company was and is known for ship in/ship out repairs for a great number of shops across the country. In the late 1960s, the two were merged as Bevan-Rabell Inc. in the same building. Patterson bought the business from Bevan and managed it until McIntyre purchased it in 2001.

Bevan-Rabell Inc. has been a member of the AEA since September 1986. The first time McIntyre attended an AEA International Convention, he was elected to the board of directors. Many of the board members he served with remain close friends and business associates today.

One of the things that always impressed McIntyre with the AEA members is their willingness to help each other with advice or in a pinch, where it isn’t uncommon to call a competitor and trade equipment or information. Although McIntyre never seems to have as much spare time as he’d like, he enjoys fishing, hunting and tinkering with a 1955 Pontiac and a 1928 Model A Ford.

Dan Rice began his career in avation right after graduating from high school. His grandfather worked for Northwest Airlines his entire career, and it ignited Rice’s interest in aviation.

After graduating from high school, Rice attended A&P school at Portland Community College. One of his instructors worked at Western Skyways and helped him get a job working in the instrument department. He began doing two-year pitot-static certifications and worked on basic instruments to get his foot in the door.

After receiving his A&P certificate, he was able to expand his work with a number of different jobs, including: airframe inspections, sheet metal repairs and modifications and assisting the avionics department on avionics installs. During this time, Rice discovered that working with avionics equipment and new technology was interesting, and he was able to join the avionics shop full time.

After Western Skyways closed in 1987, Rice was offered a job at Flightcraft and still enjoys working there today. During his time at Flightcraft, he has had the opportunity to work on a number of interesting projects in the U.S. and overseas. He has continued to grow as the avionics sales manager and supporting the inspection department. Although he doesn’t have as many opportunities to work on aircraft, he enjoys providing support to the younger technicians and being a part of the team.

Rice has enjoyed being involved in all aspects of the AEA during the last 15 years.

Mark Wilken’s passion for aviation began at the young age of 10 after watching an older gentleman in his neighborhood fly a radio control airplane.

With the help of a local RC airplane club, he learned to fly RC airplanes. Through the next several years, he built, flew and crashed many. During that time, he also was introduced to electronics and began taking electronic items apart to see how they worked.

After two years in the avionics program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Wilken elected to stay in school and get an aviation management degree. Wilken also wanted to learn how to fly since he was going to be working on aircraft for a living. After borrowing money from his parents, he enrolled in the university’s flight program. Wilken graduated in 1989 with an AAS in avionics, a bachelor’s degree in aviation and his private pilot’s license.

The early 1990s was not the best time for aviation, and after several months of interviews, Wilken finally landed a job at Elliott Beechcraft in Moline, Ill. Wilken began his career at Elliott as a bench repair technician fixing everything from King KX-170s to Honeywell Primus radars. He became very proficient at the bench repair and, after a year, asked for additional duties. This included more aircraft troubleshooting, which included autopilot work and installations ranging from panel-mount equipment to FMSs, TCAS and GPWS. Wilken then moved into crew lead positions. After managing the larger projects, Wilken moved into the engineering electrical interface side of the installation. Designing interfaces was challenging, but with his background, it came easy. From there, he moved into the FAA certification side and designing STC projects. In 1996, the current avionics manager went to another position, and he was asked to manage the avionics department. During this time, the company changed its name from Elliott Beechcraft to Elliott Aviation. There was a new focus to grow the maintenance and avionics departments.

In 2002, Wilken moved to a full-time sales position, where he was a regional salesperson calling on prospective customers. He also took on additional responsibilities to create new product development programs to keep Elliott positioned in front of its competitors.

Wilken regularly attends the AEA International Convention, regional meetings and forums. He recently served on the AEA Strategic Outlook Committee. Wilken also serves on manufacturer advisory boards for Rockwell Collins, Aircell, Garmin and Universal.

Straight out of high school, Greg York started working on airplanes. A friend arranged a job for him with Bill Pippen at Tejas Avionics in Georgetown, Texas. York's family moved when his dad, Ed, transferred to Castleberry Instruments in Austin.

York accidentally fell into his father's footsteps but discovered it was the right career for him, as well. A few years later, he and Pippen began a business together, Flying Machine Co., in Sunrise Beach. Several moves and four daughters later, Pippen-York Inc. is going strong with York as president of the company and Mike Pippen as co-pilot.

In the early days of the business, York realized the benefits of joining the AEA. He has attended many AEA Conventions and takes advantage of the valuable training opportunities available.

Aero Express Inc.’s key to success has been listening to its customer requests and then developing a plan of action to meet these changing needs. Aero Express buys, sells, rents and trades new and used avionics test equipment to the airline, corporate and military marketplace. Aero Express specializes in TCAS, Mode S, ADS-B, 406 MHz and RVSM test equipment.

Aero Express Inc. was founded in 1993, and is celebrating 20 years of service thanks to its many customers and dedicated staff. The Aero Express staff can design your avionics workshop and supply all the necessary test equipment to get you up and running. Its many years of experience can save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary purchases during the setup process. Aero Express has coined the phrase “solving your test equipment puzzle” because there are many options to choose from in the marketplace, and the staff can help you determine what equipment is right for your needs when adding a new capability. Aero Express also can support the equipment after the sale with its ISO certified calibration lab, Express Calibration Services. Quick turnaround times and competitive prices make for superior support of your test equipment calibration and repair needs.

Aero Express appreciates and is grateful for its nomination as the AEA Associate Member of the Year. The AEA has helped Aero Express grow, stay informed and be involved in the general aviation community.

Aeroflex Inc. is a leading global provider of high-performance microelectronic components and test and measurement equipment used by companies in the space, avionics, defense, commercial wireless communications, medical and other markets.

In 2002, Aeroflex acquired IFR Systems with facilities in Wichita, Kan., and Stevenage, England. The Wichita division is home to a variety of test sets for avionics and private mobile radio, as well as test sets for legacy analog systems.

IFR was established in 1968, specializing in aircraft instruments and test equipment. It was then, under the leadership of Fred Hunt, one of IFR’s founders, that the company became involved with the AEA.

In 1971, the company refocused and concentrated on avionics test equipment. In 1975, a radio communications test set was developed, which set into motion a major push into the nascent wireless test equipment market.

Growth through new product development and acquisition was vigorously pursued throughout the 1980s and 1990s. IFR's radio communications testing expanded into cellular radio, paging and trunked radio. A major U.S. defense contract extended capability into testing frequency-agile military radio test systems. Avionics test equipment also gained a wider market share and a line of RF and microwave spectrum analyzers was introduced.

Aeroflex acquired JcAIR Test Systems from the Goodrich Corporation in April 2005. The addition of JcAIR Test Systems enhanced Aeroflex's position in both commercial and military avionics test equipment. The JcAIR name was recognized worldwide as a leading provider of avionics testing solutions. Its specialty was in RF products and test equipment for the aircraft data bus and fuel-gauging systems, as well as automatic test equipment for general purpose applications.

Today, Aeroflex provides a wide range of test instrumentation with considerable expertise in wireless test solutions, microwave, avionics, ATE and other areas. Aeroflex continues to build on its impressive portfolio of instruments and flexible test and measurement solutions. Its wide-ranging support facilities ensure that customers always have reliable, high-integrity solutions to their testing requirements.

FreeFlight Systems develops, manufactures and supports high-quality avionics systems with a focus on equipage of aircraft for the NextGen airspace system.

The company operates from two principal facilities in Irving and Waco, Texas, and has teams deployed in New England, Chicago and Europe. The company produces a range of GPS navigation systems and sensors, radar altimeters, rugged and crash-survivable memory management systems and ADS-B systems.

FreeFlight Systems has been engaged in ADS-B avionics development and installation since mid-2008. The current management team purchased it to be a platform company for ADS-B and related NextGen systems. FreeFlight Systems and its legacy company, Trimble, have been at the forefront of the application of GPS technology to aircraft since the early 1990s. This core capability is at the heart of the NextGen aerospace system transformation, and FreeFlight Systems is intimately familiar with not only the technology, but also all of the nuances and complexities related to the implementation of GPS-based systems, such as ADS-B.

FreeFlight Systems has invested heavily in the development of ADS-B datalink radio technology, and it was awarded TSO certification (TSO-C154c) for a 978 MHz UAT transmitter in the fall of 2011. Since then, the company has focused on the development of a UAT receiver/transceiver and 1090 Mode S ADS-B technology as well as the installation of ADS-B systems in aircraft. The company was awarded an STC for the installation of its rule-compliant RANGR UAT transmitter in an AW-139 helicopter in the summer of 2012, and it currently has multiple units in service utilizing that platform.

In collaboration with Exelis, FreeFlight Systems has introduced high-quality ADS-B technology to the airport surface, and major airports, such as Boston Logan, are now able to track vehicles in aircraft movement areas, reducing risk of runway incursion.

A member of the AEA since October 2001, FreeFlight Systems enjoys many benefits from its membership. It has been proud to support AEA initiatives in issues of interest to the entire general aviation community, such as the LightSquared threat to the nation’s GPS system. FreeFlight Systems appreciates that the AEA continues to provide forums for manufacturers and installers to work with regulators and with each other to make avionics systems installation safe, practical and affordable.

Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Its expertise in flight-deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management, simulation and training is delivered by 19,000 employees, and a global service and support network that crosses 27 countries.

The company is uniquely balanced, with nearly equal portion of revenues coming from its commercial systems and government systems businesses. It leverages developments across both portfolios to strengthen the company by reducing costs, extending product viability and enhancing the capabilities of the systems produced.

Rockwell Collins has been a member of the AEA since May 1964.

Located in the high desert of Albuquerque, N.M., Sandia Aerospace was founded in 1997, by a group of avionics professionals to provide high-quality avionics products to general, corporate and regional airline markets. Major product offerings include the company's STX 165 transponder with built-in encoder, SAE 5-35 altitude encoder, SAC 7-35 airdata computer, avionics cooling fans and MARC 70 interface modules. Sandia products are offered worldwide by both avionics modification centers and aircraft manufacturers. 

In addition, Sandia Aerospace provides product development, product design and product manufacturing for other aerospace companies. The company is committed to a robust future of supplying all segments of the aviation industry with superior avionics products. Sandia Aerospace pledges to offer its customers the highest-quality products and back them with personal and timely product support.

Sandia Aerospace has been a member of the AEA since September 1998, and participates regularly in the annual AEA International Convention and Trade Show and AEA Regional Meetings.

It was a devotion to making aircraft navigation better and safer that drove Hubert L. Naimer, Universal Avionics’ founder, to invent the world’s first “master navigation system,” more commonly known today as the flight management system. Introduced to the market as the UNS-1 in the fall of 1982, this FMS represented a quantum leap in airborne navigation.

More than 30 years later, this entrepreneurial spirit and creative exploration are wound in the fibers of the company. Universal Avionics continues to be an industry leader with innovative avionics systems used on a large number of aircraft types and has expanded into markets ranging from large turbine aircraft to helicopters and special missions. Product offerings include electronic flight instruments and multifunction displays, Vision-1 synthetic vision system, terrain awareness and warning system, UniLink UL-800/801 communications management unit, cockpit voice and flight data recorder, and attitude heading reference system. The UniLink UL-800/801 is an advanced integrated airborne datalink system providing ACARS VDL Mode and FANS 1/A+ communications in addition to controller pilot datalink communication and context management functions required to meet the upcoming Eurocontrol Link 2000+ Programme mandate.

Universal Avionics’ corporate headquarters and marketing, sales and support divisions are located in Tucson, Ariz., just a short distance from the Tucson International Airport. The company’s unique vertically-integrated manufacturing facility also is located at the Universal Avionics’ headquarters campus. A Midwest office located in Wichita, Kan., provides support for the nearby dealers and aircraft original equipment manufacturers, including Cessna, Bombardier, Hawker Beechcraft and Boeing. A worldwide team of regional company sales representatives also are positioned at strategic locations in the U.S., Canada and Switzerland. Expanding its worldwide reach, Universal recently opened a second office in Europe, located in London, and a new office in Southeast Asia, located in Singapore. The company’s research, development, engineering and design activities are conducted at two U.S. facilities, the engineering-southeast division located near Atlanta, Ga., and the engineering-northwest division in the high-tech corridor of Redmond, Wash.

Universal Avionics has been an active member of the AEA since it began marketing its very first products. Universal’s chief operating officer, Paul DeHerrera, is well-known by the AEA through his past service as AEA chairman, being an active board member and work on numerous committees, including aviation tort reform.