Avionics News April 2020 - 48

EARLY ADOPTERS

Continued from page 47

neapolis, Minnesota. Given the certification process and
cost involved, business aircraft "don't regularly look for
new technology, but they had a need because of ADSB, and they were using it for compliance, for the most
part."
The vast contribution the system made to safety was
a significant motivator, according to Boyd. Situational
awareness and the digital autopilot with its low-speed
protection option lead the list. The Citation's legacy
equipment is another factor, he said. Repairing "the
Honeywell displays in that airplane have gotten very
expensive."
Cool, new technology isn't a draw for the early
majority. People at this level make decisions based on
utility and practical benefits. Call it the "What's in it for
me?" factor. When this group embraces new technology,
it tends to be widely adopted without too much delay.
When considering new technology, these adopters will
often decide to replace operating units in their panels.
At Tri-State Aero in Evansville, Indiana, majority
adopters greatly outnumber its early adopters, according
to Jack Staples. An OEM incentive motivated a number
of them to replace "their Garmin 430 with an Avidyne
touchscreen," which connects with the iPad in almost
every pilot's flight bag. Most of the adopters he sees
today would fall into the next category, because their
decision to adopt the new is driven by inability to repair
their existing technology.
Late majority adopters embody the traits of their immediate predecessors with an extra helping of caution.
Or maybe it's skepticism (or pragmatic patience). They
would like to step up to avionics that offer increased
capabilities and greater reliability, but in consideration
of their flying budget won't make the decision while the
equipment it would replace is still operational.
"When something new comes out, our customers wait
and see how it goes and hear how it works out for other
people," said Lisa LaMantia of Advanced Air Inc. in
Council Bluffs, Iowa. An aircraft owner's budget is a
controlling factor, said Frank Haas, avionics manager.
Depending on the equipment, "they will wait a few years
to save up money." During that time, they also analyze
S T O R Y
B Y
D A V E
H I G D O
the equipment's cost and its benefit to the airplane's
value.
A pilot's long-term plan plays a critical role in adopting new technology, DeVilbiss said. For a pilot who
expects to sell the airplane in the next five years, new
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2020

technology may not pass economic muster. But "if it is
your forever airplane, by God, make it what you want
because you'll fly it until you don't fly anymore."
Laggards are the customers who today are begging
shops for an ADS-B install. Rogers defines them as slow to
adopt new ideas and technology, and they only do so when
forced by social pressure or regulatory requirements.
Despite numerous studies, there seem to be no personality traits that pigeonhole pilots on a specific level.
Regardless of where they are on the curve, however,
five defined steps lead to an individual's embracing new
technology.
As they learn about the new technology, aircraft owners
mentally weigh its advantages and disadvantages to their
particular aeronautical circumstances. Ultimately, this is
where pilots lay the foundation for their decision to adopt
or pass on new equipment. But the educational investment
is not wasted because it may well pay dividends should
the pilot's mission or economic situation change or the
legacy avionics reach their repairable lifespan.
Implementing new technology is the next step. By the
time a shop installs it, pilots have already determined its
usefulness and how they will employ it in-flight. Putting
their new technology to work confirms the decision to
adopt it. Early adopters, who don't have a knowledge
pool as deep as the one majority adopters draw from,
must accept the possibility that the balance of advantages and disadvantages has shifted a bit.
Adopter Communication
According to Rogers, putting new technology to work
is only part of its attraction. Early adopters tend to form
and share their opinions with others, and their reputation
for being on the cutting edge is important to them. In
social media terms, they are avionics influencers.
Logic suggests that shops could find ways to help
their early adopters share their hands-on new tech opinions with the rest of their customers in the other consumer categories. None of the shops surveyed acknowledged
such an effort.
With the early adopter's cooperation, on its social media accounts (Facebook and/or Instagram) a shop could
post a photo and brief description of the new technology
it installed in the pilot's airplane. These posts should
link to the adopter's applicable social media accounts.
N
With no additional input from the shop, this post offers a
direct communication connection between the influencer
and the curious.
Regardless of where they are on the curve, adopters are
individuals, and for innovative technology to journey from

Avionics News April 2020

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