March 24, 2011 - Nearly 1,400 avionics manufacturers, dealers, installers and other general aviation professionals have converged at the 54th annual Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) International Convention & Trade Show, at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada that began on Tuesday and will continue until Friday March 25th. 

The AEA convention is the preeminent venue dedicated solely to the general aviation avionics industry. Not open to the public, this event?s primary focus is providing avionics professionals with educational and marketing opportunities between equipment manufacturers, distributors and government-certified repair stations.

The 2011 AEA Member of the Year and Associate Member of the Year will be announced during the AEA Annual Awards luncheon on Thursday, March 24. Last year?s winners were Rick Ochs of Spirit Avionics, Columbus, Ohio, who was named the 2010 AEA Member of the Year, and DAC International, named the 2010 Associate Member of the Year. 

The nominees for the 2011 Member of the Year are:

 * Don Dominguez, San Luis Avionics, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Gunter Hemmel, Avionik Straubing GmbH, Germany.
* Arnold Hill, Des Moines Flying Service, Des Moines, Iowa.
* Fabian Oyarbide, Redimec SRL, Argentina.
* Rick Peavley, Vero Beach Avionics, Vero Beach, Fla.  

The nominees for the 2011 Associate Member of the Year are: 

* Flight Display Systems, Alpharetta, Ga.
* Garmin, Olathe, Kan.
* Mid-Continent Instruments, Wichita, Kan.
* PS Engineering, Lenoir City, Tenn.

John NanceJohn Nance, best known to television viewers as the aviation analyst for ABC World News and aviation editor for ?Good Morning America,? will speak at the Annual Awards Luncheon on Thursday, March 24. An internationally recognized air safety analyst, Nance has made several appearances on national shows such as ?Larry King Live,? ?PBS Hour with Jim Lehrer,? ?Oprah,? ?NPR,? ?Nova? and ?The Today Show,? and has authored 19 major books. 

Nance was named the 2002 Distinguished Alumnus of Southern Methodist University, where he holds a bachelor?s degree and a Juris Doctor from the SMU School of Law. He is a decorated Air Force pilot veteran of Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Nance is one of the civilian pioneers of Crew Resource Management (CRM) and has piloted a wide variety of jet aircraft.