Avionics News March 2014 - 14

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

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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

The Value-Added Equation

think we all talk about how we add value to
our products. For the Aircraft Electronics
Association, we constantly strive to add value
to our membership and ensure you receive more in
return than the membership dues cost. To do this, we
constantly refresh the AEA International Convention &
Trade Show and the AEA Regional Meetings; expand
training opportunities; add member benefits and affiliate
programs; and consumer outreach and promotion
of the value of utilizing AEA member shops to
accomplish needed purchases and services.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines valueadded as "of, relating to, or being a product whose
value has been increased especially by special
manufacturing, marketing or processing."
In the February "View from Washington" column, I
wrote about the value-added benefits provided by thirdparty audits, whether or not the information was from a
regulatory authority, customer or another entity. Having
an extra set of eyes looking at your maintenance
operations without the bias of being there each day
creates continuous improvement opportunities that are
added to your basic quality system.
Throughout the year, the AEA supports many
functions and events beyond just our branded events.
We attend events organized by the other trade
associations (AOPA, EAA, HAI and NBAA) to support
the membership, promote doing business with AEA
member companies and showcase the added training,
qualifications and professionalism of AEA members. In
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addition, the AEA staff supports other industry events
with the Federal Aviation Administration (and other
aviation authorities), educational facilities and membersponsored safety and trade events. Each promotes
the added value to the consumer by leveraging AEA
member companies for needed maintenance.
Earlier this year, I was speaking at an interagency
inspectors' workshop with the U.S. Departments of

A m e m b e r re c e n t l y a s ke d t h e q u e s t i o n ,
why does the AEA participate in local
F A A p ro g ra m s l a b e l e d a s I A t ra i n i n g ?

Interior and Agriculture - generally, the forest services.
Why? Because they utilize AEA members' services,
are potential members, and benefit from the message
of standardization and consistency in regulatory
interpretation. I also was in London promoting the
AEA Safety Management System program with our
European beta test site. The two-day training included
discussions and follow-up with the European Aviation
Safety Agency subject-matter expert on human factors
in maintenance. Why? Because the more the AEA SMS
solution is accepted throughout Europe, the easier it is
to implement for the entire AEA membership. During
the same week, I presented a paper at an international
aviation forum in London on the international
acceptance of supplemental type certificates. Why? It

Avionics News March 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News March 2014