Avionics News August 2012 - 4

NOW

Seek Lifelong Learning

We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself. – Lloyd Alexander, American author

ow often have you read a manufacturer’s instal- and not the installation of radios. Did any of us attend lation manual, a regulation or just about anything an installation class for distance measuring equipment? industry related and learn something new? You may not For many years, Avionics News published a series of find the exact answer you were looking for, but instead you “Minimum Installation Practices” articles written by Ed discover new knowledge with great benefits. Maher, which focused on installing different types of equipSo, it’s appropriate the month of August marks the ment. In addition, Jerry Gordon wrote “The Technicians annual education issue for Avionics News. It includes Notebook” series of articles. A number of those educational profiles of this year’s Aircraft Electronics articles exist today on the AEA website, and Association scholarship winners and feature they are great tools for modern training. stories on various educational entities, which Finally, with the regulatory changes loombuilds a pipeline of students for a career in ing for our industry, the need to learn will avionics. The newcomers in our industry have continue to grow. I’m not referring to the made a commitment to learn, and my hope is new boxes from manufacturers or checking they continue to learn more each and every day. boxes in the forms to meet a training requireToday, learning is much different in a numment. Rather, each one of us in the general Greg Vail ber of ways than it was years ago, and it’s all aviation industry must have a clear and full for the better. understanding of what the regulators are doing and how As I think about the many years I have been in this it impacts our business and our livelihood. If we don’t business, I have witnessed educational tools evolve learn what this means as both individuals and companies, from film-strip projectors to Web-based training pro- we might as well close shop now. The bottom line? Our grams. Think back to previous AEA Regional Meetings world is changing – learn to live in it, or get left behind when presenters used an overhead projector and per- by those who have taken the time to educate themselves. sonally changed the slides. We have seen the death by As in the past, the AEA staff and board of directors will PowerPoint presentations over the years, but just think continue to answer the challenge of providing members about how much better the information is today than it the resources necessary to learn. Take advantage of it. q was in the past. Training is now delivered in a more timely fashion, and in many cases, the training is ready when new products are brought to market. Many vendors work diligently to provide improved training for a dealer network than in the past. When you think about it, isn’t it odd that GREG VAIL training is now focused on installation and line mainteChairman, AEA board of directors nance? Years ago, it was about fixing radios on a bench Flightstar Corp., Savoy, Ill.

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Avionics News August 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News August 2012