Avionics News August 2021 - 23

aircraft. When you consider the breadth and depth of
today's avionics product lines, the training demands can
be significant - and a bit complicated. For example, the
typical avionics shop may cover more than a dozen.
Upgrading digital stacks and retrofitting various
stand-alone packages present a huge challenge for
manufacturers, installers and maintainers, alike. Aspen
Avionics, Avidyne, Collins, Garmin and Honeywell
help train avionics technicians to handle not only their
own products but the scores of permutations covering
business jets, propjets and high-performance piston
aircraft, jobs involving replacement
of older analog avionics.
Keeping technicians trained
to cover all these variations and
permutations requires a longterm
commitment to training
for everyone in the system - the
OEMs, installers and maintainers
... and the employers of these
professionals, the avionics shops
and FBOs where they work.
"
AEA pitches in
Among the many services
provided by the AEA is a plethora
of training opportunities for
members and their technicians.
The AEA offers these training
opportunities in many formats and
locations, as explained by Aaron
Ward, director of operations for the
association.
" The AEA provides members with a variety of costGarmin's
six steps
Keeping those customers up to speed became a pandemic
challenger that eschewed in-person training in favor of virtual
instruction.
" We have done this in six major ways, " Garmin's
McDougal noted.
He outlined how Garmin approached the challenge, and
other companies followed similar paths, though each put their
own touch on the virtual training.
TO ENCOURAGE
COMPANIES
TO HAVE THEIR
TECHNICIANS TAP
THESE TRAINING
OPPORTUNITIES, THE
AEA OFFERS THE
AVIONICS TRAINING
EXCELLENCE AWARD.
THE AWARD IS A
SIGNAL TO AVIONICS
CUSTOMERS THAT A
SHOP IS COMMITTED
TO THE HIGHEST
" Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have provided
over 150 virtual events reaching over 10,000 people, "
McDougal said. " This number doesn't
count the views on YouTube. "
McDougal provided these details
about how Garmin handled the various
challenges of the past year:
" First, we offer GTN (iPad and PC
Trainer) and G1000 PC Trainers (for
many airframes) for purchase to ensure
customers can become familiar with
their avionics, or just stay current.
" Second, we offer a version of our
in-person classes virtually. The pilot
classes are one day in length and use
PC/iPad Trainers to step the students
through content. The MX classes are
two days in length and use multiple
cameras to pass as much information
as possible.
STANDARDS OF SERVICE.
" Third, we have posted a large
amount of videos to Garmin's Aviation
YouTube channel for pilots and to our Dealer
Resource for maintenance content.
effective professional development options, " Ward
said. " In addition to the in-person, hands-on technical
training at our headquarters, we now offer virtual-live
instruction. These new courses have been added to the
mix, allowing members to log in anywhere and continue
their professional development. "
To encourage companies to have their technicians tap
these training opportunities, the AEA offers the Avionics
Training Excellence Award. (See page 59 for a complete
list of award winers for 2020.)
The award is a signal to avionics customers that a
shop is committed to the highest standards of service.
Wherever the technicians train, their customers are the
ultimate beneficiaries.
" Fourth, we offer monthly one-hour webinars. These
webinars cover specific topics and can be converted into videos
posted onto our YouTube channel for viewing after the fact.
" Fifth, we have partnered with many organizations to
provide virtual training for their members.
" Sixth, we offer pilot eLearning courses for GTN (also
covers GTN Xi), G1000 NXi, G3000/5000, and weather
radar. "
The goal: Ongoing competence
in avionics service
Once technicians receive their introductory training
on a system, the focus of the shops is to use that training
Continued on following page
avionics news * august 2021 23
Avionics News August 2021

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