AEA Announces Industry Award Winners
At the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) International Convention & Trade Show next in Orlando, Florida, the association will honor Dewey Conroy as member of the year and Avidyne as associate member of the year.
Conroy, v-p and COO of Pacific Coast Avionics, has been a pilot since age 19 and started working in the avionics business at American Avionics in Seattle in 1984. He was promoted to avionics sales manager in 1989, then in 1991 Gulf Coast Avionics founder Rick Garcia invited Conroy to be a partner in the launch of Pacific Coast Avionics. The company opened in Auburn, Washington, and in 1997 moved to Aurora, Oregon, where it has grown to employ 24 people in an 18,000-sq-ft facility.
Avidyne was founded in 1994 by Dan Schwinn “with the mission of modernizing general aviation avionics by applying advanced technology in order to improve safety and increase aircraft utility,” according to AEA. The avionics manufacturer’s product line includes GPS-based flight management systems, GPS navcoms, digital flight control systems, ADS-B transponders, and traffic advisory systems. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, where the company also manufactures avionics products. Avidyne has additional engineering facilities in Westerville, Ohio, and Concord, Massachusetts.
“An AEA member company since 1995, Avidyne continues to be a strong supporter of the association, its programs, and its member dealers,” AEA noted.
