Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) president and CEO Mike Adamson announced the launch of a new technician certification program today at the opening session for the 68th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show in Phoenix. The Certified Aircraft Electronics Technician (CAET) program will offer three tiers of certification to recognize technicians at different career stages, with the entry-level certification set to launch May 1.

“As an unrelenting supporter of technician training, standards development, and certification in our industry, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our own technician certification program,” Adamson told attendees.

In addition to CAET, the tiered certification structure will include CAET Advanced for technicians with more in-depth knowledge and practical skills, and CAET Pro for recognizing senior technicians with field experience and management responsibilities.

“These certifications were built by industry for industry,” Adamson emphasized, noting that the recently revised ASTM standard was updated to reflect knowledge requirements for both entry-level and advanced technicians.

AEA has partnered with the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) to distribute the certification program. USI works with nearly 500 schools across all 50 states and has awarded more than 20,000 certifications globally.

Adamson highlighted strong growth in the general aviation sector, citing a recent economic impact study funded by AEA and seven other associations. “The numbers are impressive as the industry supports 1.3 million jobs and 339 billion in economic output in the United States,” he reported, noting a 36% increase in direct income and 40% increase in labor income compared to five years ago.

Similarly, positive trends were seen in GAMA’s Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, with year-over-year shipments up 3% and billings rising 13%. Compared to five years ago, shipments have increased nearly 20% annually.

“While there’s work to be done on infrastructure, air traffic modernization, regulation, and policy revision, the significance of general aviation cannot be overstated, and our association is well positioned to address the issues and take advantage of these opportunities,” Adamson said.

This year’s convention features 28 new product introductions and AEA’s first-ever avionics skills competition, developed in partnership with the Barrington Irving Technical Training School and supported by Banyan Air Service, Collins Aerospace, and Duncan Aviation.

Absent from this year’s event was in-person representation from the FAA, which Adamson attributed to budget limitations, though he noted the agency would participate virtually. “Their continued involvement remains invaluable in the association, and we look forward to reconnecting face-to-face next year in Dallas,” he said.

During the opening session, Adamson introduced Mike Berryhill, senior maintenance trainer at Cirrus Aircraft, as the newly elected chairman of the AEA board of directors. Berryhill, who has more than 30 years of experience in the aircraft electronics industry, is serving his third term on the board and has previously chaired the association’s trusteeship and workforce development committees.​​