Are you an inventor always coming up with something new? A vendor marketing the next great invention? The customer who designed a solution but doesn’t know the next step?
For years, the Aircraft Electronics Association has helped start-up manufacturers navigate the complex world of aviation regulations through on-demand, one-off requests. As these requests have grown in frequency, the AEA has developed a structured forum to offer greater assistance to these startup companies.
To achieve the goals of the AEA Technology Incubator, the association has organized a one-day event scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, at its international headquarters in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Attendance is restricted to startups. To attend this forum, the manufacturer must not hold an FAA production approval, however, it may hold a NORSEE approval.
As AEA officials explain, this is a forum for start-up companies or new entrants into the certified aircraft industry. This is not a forum for established manufacturers — that is the AEA’s quarterly manufacturer’s forum.
Due to space limitations, attending companies are limited to two participants at the AEA Technology Incubator.
The AEA Technology Incubator is designed to demystify the path forward to producing parts for certified aircraft with a focus on producing these parts under FAA oversight.
The best and most successful way to demystify anything in aviation is to open the path for communication, AEA officials note.
The AEA Technology Incubator will include presentations and discussions focused on understanding the FAA regulatory structure, as well as Part 23 and production regulations, guidance, and policies. In addition, the AEA Technology Incubator will offer ample opportunity to interact with the association staff, FAA personnel, and other attendees.
According to AEA officials, the goal of the AEA Technology Incubator is simple and straightforward:
- Encourage new technologies.
- Encourage the promotion of safety-enhancing technologies.
- Facilitate and encourage the communications between new aviation entrants and the FAA.
You can fill out an application to attend the AEA Technology Incubator at AEA.net/events/incubator
Questions can be sent to Ric Peri, AEA vice president of government and industry affairs, at [email protected].
In airport administration, I was involved more than once with FAA, not with startup inventors, but with: a large, nonaviation development at PIT, with RPZ, approach zone and night light concerns; land acquisition and relocation at ABE, some with special-needs issues; security after 9/11 (pre-TSA); a self-serve fuel island at RTS; DBE concessions at more than one airport; and FAA’s leases for lighting and equipment space. The FAA people were sticklers for compliance, which was fine with us and the developers, businesses and individuals involved, but truly “nice” sticklers, always open to ideas for reasonable solutions to issues. I will never forget the ADO fellow who said, “We’ll make sure you comply, but we’ll help you comply.” Yes, that sounds like “I’m from the government and I’m here to help,” but they really did on both points.
AEA’s event should include these kinds of stories; it already looks like it will take the fear factor out of the process.
There is actually somebody out there trying to demystify the FAA?!!!