Great Lakes International Aviation Conference To Focus On New Cockpit Technology

The "glass cockpit revolution" will be one of the main topics for the Great Lakes International Aviation Conference at the Lansing Center in Lansing (MI). The conference takes place February 6-8.

"The Garmin G-1000 is coming out," says conference organizer Philip Tartalone, with the Michigan Department of Transportation. "It's going in the Diamond, it's going in the Cessnas, and that is the big deal in aviation."

Both Cessna and Diamond will be among the vendors at the conference. Cirrus, Piper and Mooney will also be represented at the conference, where one of the featured speakers will be AOPA President Phil Boyer.

Seminars at the conference will feature cross-border aviation between the US and Canada, a timely topic indeed, considering how many Canadian pilots are considering a trek to Oshkosh (WI) for the EAA fly-in this year. Tartalone says other topics will include the way general aviation has been portrayed in the media lately.

"Andrew Thomas is going to be here," says Tartalone. "He's a noted author on aviation security. He's going to be there to give us his views on aviation security."

Although Tartalone calls the Great Lakes Interntational Aviation Conference the "greatest aviation conference nobody ever heard of." But word is certainly getting out. This year, the conference is in the Lansing Center rather than at a local hotel. "This year, we have several venues for food. We're able to offer a day rate to the conference. So the whole complexion of the conference has changed."

The day rate issue has been smoldering for the past three years, says Tartalone. But with that issue solved, he expects 1500-2000 people will show up for the conference. "That fact alone -- that we can offer a day-rate -- and people can come in and check out the exhibits and attend a few sessions for a relatively small price is going to help our attendance considerably."

With a new venue, new vendors and a lot to talk about, Tartalone says this is going to be one of the best conferences ever.

Speakers

• Phil Boyer, President
  Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, AOPA
  Fredrick, MD
• Pat Duggins, Human Factors for Mechanics
  President, Consulting Services, Inc.
  Tulsa, OK
• Brian Finnegan, President
  Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA)
  Washington, DC
• Cathe’ Fish, New Technologies
  Aviation Speakers Bureau
  Orofino, ID
• Jack Lousma
  NASA Astronaut
  Ann Arbor, MI
• Lane Wallace, West Coast Editor
  Flying Magazine
  Palo Alto, CA
• Dr. John Wood, Optics Lead Engineer
  NASA Hubble Space Telescope
  Goddard Space Flight Center
  Greenbelt, MD

Seminars

• Buying a New Aircraft Seminar
  Pat Redmond, Sales Manager
  Suburban Aviation
  Ottawa Lake, MI
• Now is a Great Tax-Time to Buy an Airplane
  Lew Meiners, President
  Advocate Aircraft Taxation Company
  Naples, FL
• Aviation Insurance
  Rick Turner and Shaun Johnson
  Aviation Insurance Agency
  DeWitt, MI
• How to Make Maintenance Logbook Entries
  Owner/Operator Responsibilities
  Aircraft Record Keeping
  Gary Knaggs and Mike McKinley
• Volunteer Flying for the Wings of Mercy
  Chuck Binder
  Saginaw, MI
• Partnerships and LLCs
  Rick Durden, Attorney
  Grand Rapids, MI
• Aircraft Preheating: The Big Debate
  Gary Schmidt, President
  Tanis Aircraft Services
  Glenwood, MI

Airports and FBOs

• The Care and Feeding of Airports: The Behind the Scenes Bureaucracy
  Panel from MDOT Aeronautics
• Economic Value of Your Airport
  Zoe Lorca, Aviation Planner
  MDOT Aeronautics
• Small Airports: Where the Money is and How to Write a Grant
  Jenny Yung, MDOT Aeronautics
• Environmental Issues at Airports
  Eric Shepardson, Market Sales Manager
  Safety Kleen
  Romulus, MI
• Risk Management for Airports
  Pat Duggins, President
  Consulting Services, Inc.
  Tulsa, OK
• Marketing Your Airport
  Jim Lampe
  Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis

Balloons

Five great sessions for Balloonists to run on Saturday.

Flight Instructors

• Adult Learning Styles
  Mary Lou Leigh and Kata Street
  Macomb Community College
  Clinton Township, MI
• FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS) Program
  Thomas K. Glista, Aviation Safety Inspector-Operations
  National Resource Manager for General Aviation Training Standards
  Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC
• Practice Talking to ATC on Your Computer
  Carol Dodds, General Manager
  Comm1 Radio Simulator
  Frederick, MD
• Using Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Teaching Tool
  Bruce Williams, Business Development Manager
  Microsoft Corporation
  Redmond, WA

General Safety and Interest

• IFR Refresher
  Cathe' Fish
  Tulsa, OK
• IFR GPS
  Cathe' Fish
  Tulsa, OK
• Flying On The Gages
  Brian Jacobson, IFR Refresher
  White Lake, MI
• Water Survival
  Robert T. Shafer, District Staff Officer-Aviation
  U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
  Grosse Ile, MI
• Tips and Techniques for the GA Pilot from the Airline Cockpit
  Paul J. Preidecker, President
  Flight Training Solutions, LLC
  Broadview Heights, WI
• The Strategic Evaluation of Aviation Safety and Security Measures
  Andrew Thomas, Author/Analyst
  Global Market Strategies, Ltd.
  Broadview Heights, OH
• High Altitude Operations
  Rogers Shaw, CAMI
  Oklahoma City, OK
• TFRs: The Legal Trap
  Mike McKinley, FAA Regional Counsel
  Chicago, IL
• Handling In-flight Emergencies, Part One and Part Two
  (Part 1 on Friday and Part 2 on Saturday)
  Mike Stock
  Northwestern Michigan College
• The Over-technical Side of Tailwheel Landings
  Robert Mahieu
  St. Clair Shores, MI
• What Did You Say?  Memory Lapses in Flight Operations
  Anthony Adamski, Ph,D.
  Eastern Michigan University
  Ypsilanti, MI
• Little Known Facts about Aeronautical Charts
  Dick Neher, FAA
  Washington, D.C.
• Airport Hot Spot Charts: Runway Incursion Prevention
  Ron Bazman, Willow Run Tower
  Belleville, MI
• Pilot Getaways in Ontario
  Conrad Hatcher, Airport Manager
  Niagara District Airport (CYSN)
  St. Catharines, ON
• Accident Investigations
  Kelly Teague, Air Safety Investigator
  Transportation Safety Institute
  Oklahoma City, OK
• Establishing a "Safety Culture"
  Brain Dillman, Safety Officer
  Purdue University
  Lafayette, IN
• Aviation Jeopardy
  Bill Benhoff, FAA
  Oklahoma City, OK
• Did That Really Happen?
  Bill Benhoff, FAA
  Oklahoma City, OK

Medical

• Lasik Surgery
  Mark Swan
  Ferris State University
  Big Rapids, MI
• High Blood Pressure and Cardiac Concerns
  Dr. Bob Gordon
  Plymouth, MI

Technology

• OASIS-The New Flight Service Station System
• WAAS: What Does It Mean for You?
  Randy Kenagy, Senior Director, Advanced Technology
  Aircraft Owners and  Pilots Association (AOPA)
  Frederick, MD
• Transition from Paper to Electronic Charts
  Mark Ruger and Dale Odernheimer
  Jeppesen
  Englewood, CO
• Small Aircraft Transportation System: Putting "Wings on America"
  Ken Hesbe, Manager, Outreach and External Affairs
  National Consortium for Aviation Mobility
  Hampton, VA

Weather

• Large Droplet Icing
  Dr. Judy VanZante
  NASA Glenn Research Center
  Cleveland, OH

• The WSI System: Total Integration from the Ground to the Air
  Keith D. Hoffler, Director, Business Development-Aviation
  Weather Services International (WSI)
  Newport News, VA
• Cold Weather Aircraft Operations
  Gary Schmidt, President
  Tanis Aircraft Services
  Glenwood, MN
• Forecasting the Weather Out Your Window
  Steve Considine
  National Weather Service
  White Lake, MI

Forums

• Aviation Law Forum
  Aviation Section of the Michigan Bar
  Steven Chait, Waterford, MI
  Richard Durden, Grand Rapids, MI
  Robert Hoschner, Corunna, MI
  Michael McKinley, Chicago, IL
• Adventurers with a Cause: Missionary Pilots
  Dave Kepple, FAA
  South Bend, IN
• Living with Your Airplane
  Paul Sullivan, Harbor Springs Airpark
  Dave Sclair, Living with Your Airplane Association
• Stupid Things People do on Check Rides Panel
  Dave Frazier, Jackson Community College Aviation Department
  Tom Krashen, MDOT Aeronautics
• The Establishment, and Subsequent Care and Feeding of Flying Clubs
  Bill Purosky
  Spartan Wings
  Mason, MI
• Stupid Pilot Tricks (From the Mechanics View)
  Frank Napolitano
  Les Ojala
  Dave Pratt
  John Russman

Hands-On Area

• The Vertigon
  Rogers Shaw, CAMI
  Oklahoma City, OK
• Parachute Packing
  Ron Pawlowski, Skydive Tecumseh
  Tecumseh, MI
• Mechanical Seminar for Non-Mechanics
  Worn Parts: Preflight
  Lisa Whittaker, Western Michigan University
  Battle Creek, MI
• Land Survival
  Rogers Shaw, CAMI
  Oklahoma City, OK
• Aircraft Sheet Metal Construction
  Richard Whiteside, Assistant Director of Training
  Michigan Institute of Aeronautics
  Belleville, MI

Meetings

• Aviation Safety Counselor Meeting
  FAA-Grand Rapids and Detroit FSDOs
  Saturday, 5:10 to 6:00 p.m.
• CFI Meeting
  FAA-Grand Rapids and Detroit FSDOs
  Friday, 6:00 to 6:50 p.m.
• Michigan Helicopter Association Meeting
  Kelly Teague, Air Safety Investigator
  Transportation Safety Institute
  Oklahoma City, OK
  Sunday, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
• Michigan Aviation Association Meeting
  Bob Shafer
  Sunday, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

FMI: http://greatlakesaviationconference.com