CIS TRA Avionics makers stay in-house to create new-product training A vionics makers often satisfy their customers' needs for new-product training in-house - and in parallel with the research and development efforts leading to those new-product releases. That was the consistent message exhibiting vendors delivered during the 64th annual Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention & Trade Show at Dallas' Hilton Anatole June 22-25. To paraphrase the remarks of representatives of exhibiting companies, in essence, the development of training materials begins with the manufacturer's decisions to bring a new product to market. Before opening customer access to training materials, the avionics OEMs develop and test-fly training for their own technicians. " The best way to assure the effectiveness of our training is to run our own technicians through the programs before we release the product for sale, " explained a representative of one of the major avionics manufacturers. The goal of these programs centers on assuring continued competence by both factory staff and the technicians in the field charged with installing and maintaining the performance of the installed equipment. The training these OEMs offer their dealers and dealers' technicians is key to helping their dealers provide the best support and guidance as the public face of the company - where the company meets the customers. Forty-five AEA-member companies - all certified repair stations - demonstrated their commitment to customer service by earning recognition of that commitment through the association's 2020 Avionics Training Excellence Award. For a member company to be eligible for the Avionics Training Excellence Award, all its technicians - 100% - must have completed at least one AEA-approved training event in the previous year. avionics news * august 2021 21 Continued on following page G A NI IV NI ON