Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, an industry leader in the overhaul/exchange, repair, design and manufacturing of aircraft instruments and avionics, will mark its 50th anniversary in October 2014.
“Growing and sustaining a successful business, especially in the highly competitive and challenging aviation industry, is not for the faint of heart,” said Todd Winter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics. “To do so for half a century requires exceptionally efficient and dedicated employees that have an unrelenting commitment to their customers and fellow aviators. It goes without saying that we couldn’t have grown our product lines, customer base, or our reputation for quality, service and integrity without an extremely loyal and talented team.”
Today, Mid-Continent supports a global dealer network and employs 200 people in two locations: Wichita, Kansas, and Van Nuys, California.
With the expertise to overhaul nearly 6,000 different products, Mid-Continent supports a customer base that includes Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), FBOs, instrument and avionics shops, flight schools and government agencies.
The company manufactures more than 20,000 units per year and processes more than 15,000 units in its overhaul/exchange and repair operation, including gyros, altimeters, HSIs and autopilot systems, according to company officials.
Mid-Continent-designed products are found in most Cessna-built airplanes; Beechcraft’s Bonanza, Baron, and King Air; Cirrus, Diamond, Piper, DAHER-SOCATA, de Havilland, Robin, Schweizer, Nextant, Aviat/Husky, Evektor, Mooney, Maule, Air Tractor, Vulcanair, and Quest aircraft; as well as Eurocopter, Robinson, Bell, Boeing, Airbus, and MD helicopters; McDonnell Douglas T-45; Tecnam; Voyager; and SpaceShipOne.
Founded in 1964, Mid-Continent began as a small repair station for Wichita’s growing aircraft industry. Acquired by John Winter in 1980, the company expanded its services to include manufacturing. With the 1991 addition of the Van Nuys facility and the new direction provided by current President and CEO Todd Winter, the company expanded its service capabilities, product lines and international reach.
In 2010, Mid-Continent identified a new segment within the general aviation industry with enormous growth potential: power management. The company established its True Blue Power division and the True Blue Power product line. True Blue Power products include USB charging ports, inverters, emergency power supplies and advanced lithium-ion batteries. Select products feature A123 Systems’ proprietary Nanophosphate cell chemistry, including the FAA and EASA TSO-certified TB17 Advanced Lithium-ion Battery. The TB17 is the first lithium-ion engine start battery for business and commercial aviation to receive either certification, company officials noted.
In 2012, in an effort to better describe the company’s avionics capabilities and underscore its commitment to provide a full range of avionics services, Mid-Continent Instruments officially changed its name to Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics. Since that time, the company has steadily increased its capacity in the repair and overhaul of avionics products, including weather radars, Mode S transponders, emergency locator transmitters (ELTs), and other navigational and communications systems.
Mid-Continent has been selected as an Authorized Repair Center for Honeywell Bendix/King, Trig Avionics, Kannad Aviation and United Instruments.
For more information: www.mcico.com
