Avionics Industry Optimistic as AEA Opens Convention

As the annual Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Convention opened today, members of the avionics manufacturing and dealership community looked forward to the week’s schedule of more than 100 hours of training, the second annual skills competition, and exhibits of the latest in avionics technology and tools.

During the opening ceremony, AEA announced that Quint DeGroot, owner of Spencer Avionics, is the 2026 AEA Member of the Year and PS Engineering is the Associate Member of the Year.

On the cusp of the show, the AEA learned that the FAA had approved the association’s request to recognize its Certified Aircraft Electronics Technician (CAET) training program as an acceptable means of compliance for the formal education requirement under Part 65.

AEA introduced the CAET program last year as a knowledge-based certification program for entry-level technicians and, at this year’s event, revealed the CAET-Advanced level that will be available in the second quarter. This will involve a hands-on practical qualification, a written exam, and an oral board, and “covers more than 60 practical tasks across eight system categories, from wire harness fabrication to flight management systems,” according to the AEA.

“It aligns with Level 2 of the ASTM standard for aircraft electronics technicians and is built for technicians who are actively working in Part 145 repair stations, enrolled in apprenticeship programs, or transitioning from military avionics roles.”

“The CAET-Advanced credential doesn’t just test what technicians know; it proves what they can do,” said Mike Adamson, AEA president and CEO. “When a technician holds this second-level certification, employers know they can work independently. The CAET-Advanced positions avionics professionals for lead technician roles, and it shows employers you’ve been evaluated and signed off on real systems.”

In 2027, AEA will add a third layer to the training program, CAET-Pro.

Journeyman Technicians

During the opening ceremony, AEA chairman Mike Berryhill, senior avionics maintenance trainer at Cirrus Aircraft, addressed the workforce issues that continue to hamper AEA member companies. Rather than reiterate advice about how to retain critical personnel or how to find scarce employees, Berryhill reminded the audience of the meaning of the word “journeyman” and how avionics companies can help the industry by ensuring their people are well-trained.

“That word matters,” he said. “A journeyman was a day worker paid for a day’s work, skilled enough to contribute, trusted enough to be counted on. But here’s the part I think we forget, and this is what I want to remind us of. They were expected to move.

“In many guilds, it was a prerequisite. You had to leave, you had to travel, you had to take your skills beyond the shop that trained you from shop to shop, from town to town, to learn new techniques, to be tested in new environments, to grow beyond what one place could offer. Their value wasn’t in staying put. Their value was in the journey. So when that young technician sits in your office and says, ‘I’ve got an opportunity,’ they’re not walking away from what you built. They’re stepping into what you prepared them for. They're not leaving as an apprentice; they’re leaving as a journeyman.

“We don’t own them, we develop them, we prepare them, we strengthen them. When the time comes, we let them go. Not reluctantly, begrudgingly, but with pride.

“Some will go: that’s a win, too. They go as journeymen; you made them that way. When the time comes, set them free. They’re not taking something from you; they’re asking for something you grew. Tell them you’re excited for [them]…go be better, raise the standard, carry this trade forward. Tell them [you’ll] always have a place for [them] if they ever need to come back. Plant them in your soil, give them what they need to grow.

“If we fail to invest in the next generation, we’re not planting trees; we’re consuming the forest. [As the Greek proverb says]: ‘A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.’”

The Next Mandate

In his opening remarks, Adamson explained that the AEA is monitoring the upcoming mandate for 5G-tolerant radar altimeters.

At a “Regulatory Rise & Shine” meeting before the opening session, AEA v-p of government and industry affairs Ric Peri warned the audience, “Essentially, we’ll have to replace all the radar altimeters in the next two years. This is a big issue. We don’t have enough floor space to do all this, but we don’t have a choice. It’s going to take everybody on deck to address it on the government and industry side.”

AEA has reached its largest member count in the last two decades, according to Adamson. “[We have] strong workforce pipelines, high-quality training and recognition, effective regulatory representation, significant membership value, and in my opinion, the tightest-knit community in the industry,” he said. “This is how we stay out front, in the lead, and ready for what’s next. Thank you for your engagement, your trust, and your commitment [to] not just building a stronger association, but a stronger, more skilled, and more resilient industry for generations to come.”