AEA announces 2024 award winners

Bruce Grammon is Member of the Year; Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics is Associate Member of the Year

LEE'S SUMMIT, MISSOURI, March 12, 2024 – Two prestigious industry awards were announced today, and the recipients will be honored during the opening session of the 67th annual Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention & Trade Show at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas, March 19.

Determined in a vote by AEA members, Bruce Grammon was named the AEA Member of the Year, while Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics was honored as the AEA Associate Member of the Year.

2024 AEA Member of the Year: Bruce Grammon
Bruce Grammon joined Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics in 1990. Throughout his 34 years with the company, he has served customers in many roles, including avionics lab technician, lab manager, and, in his most recent role, senior field service engineer. 

Grammon attended his first AEA International Convention & Trade Show in Dallas, Texas, in 1993. Since that time, he has attended a multitude of AEA events around the globe. Grammon's commitment to the AEA is reflected in his deep desire to support and serve his fellow members and aviators. 

He began his aviation career after graduating from Wichita Technical Institute, where he received an associate degree in electronics maintenance and repair technology. His technical expertise spans hundreds of product types, from weather radars to airspeed indicators. A familiar face among Mid-Continent customers, Grammon is often found in educational videos, helping the aviation community troubleshoot commonly asked questions. 

“I love learning, helping others, and I really love the people I work with,” he said. “Our customers and my co-workers have become like my family. When I joined Mid-Continent, I had the opportunity to work for John Winter and Bill Barnes. They were my mentors and, at such an early stage in my career, I was able to tap into a wealth of knowledge. They are a big part of the reason I have stayed in the industry for so long.”

Among other accomplishments, Grammon has held repairman and National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies certificates and completed a variety of product training courses. He served on the electronics board for WTI for 25 years.

2024 AEA Associate Member of the Year: Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics
Founded in 1964, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics began as a small repair station for Wichita’s growing aircraft industry and has become a top-rated overhaul and repair facility, and manufacturer of aircraft instruments, avionics, and advanced power solutions. 

Helping customers solve problems is the key to the company’s success. Mid-Continent specializes in supporting avionics shops that provide service and value to their customers. The company has spent decades enhancing product designs, refining new technologies and establishing a respected reputation as a premier service provider and manufacturer.

When Mid-Continent was purchased by John Winter in 1980, the company embraced a commitment to engineering, quality and service that continues to this day. With the 1991 addition of a California facility, and the new direction provided by current President and CEO Todd Winter, the company expanded its service capabilities, innovative product lines and international reach. 

Today, Mid-Continent employs more than 200 employees in two locations – Wichita, Kansas, and Chatsworth, California. The company has the skilled expertise to overhaul, repair and manufacture thousands of different products, and both locations are FAA/EASA authorized repair stations. The quality management system of the Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing facility is AS9100D and ISO9001:2015 certified. 

Mid-Continent has been a proud, longstanding member of the AEA since 1981. The company’s leadership, including John Winter, Todd Winter, and Matthew Harrah, have served on the association’s board of directors, and its employees have received distinguished honors from the AEA over many years.

 

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Founded in 1957, the Aircraft Electronics Association represents nearly 1,300 member companies in more than 40 countries, including approved maintenance organizations specializing in maintenance, repair and installation of aircraft electronics systems in general aviation aircraft. The AEA membership also includes manufacturers of aircraft electronics equipment, instrument repair facilities, instrument manufacturers, airframe manufacturers, test equipment manufacturers, major distributors, engineers and educational institutions.

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