9/4/2015

AircraftKitIndustryAssociationWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AircraftKitIndustryAssociation
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheAircraftKitIndustryAssociation(AKIA)isanAmerican
aviationadvocacyassociationthatwasformedinJuly2012and
formallyconstitutedatAirVenture2012.[1][2][3][4][5]

AircraftKitIndustry
Association

Theorganizationpromotesthekitaircraftindustryandadvocatesfor
allowingflighttraininginamateurbuiltaircraftasameansofreducing
accidentsinthatsectorofaviation.Italsoactsasadefenderofthe
majorityportion,or51%rule,inamateurbuiltaircraftregulations,
ensuringthatthekitownersdothemajorityoftheconstruction
work.[1][2]

Contents
1History
2Officers
3Membership
4References
5Externallinks

Type

Notforprofit

Founded

July2012

Founder

DickVanGrunsven

Headquarters AuroraStateAirport,
Oregon,UnitedStates
Membership Companies

History
AKIAwasformedasaresultofpressureonthekitaircraftindustry
fromboththeFederalAviationAdministrationandtheNational
TransportationSafetyBoardregardingthepoorsafetyrecordof
amateurbuiltaircraft.TheNTSBactuallyrecommendedthatthekit
industryformanassociation,somethingthathadalreadybegun,as
wellasaircrafttypetransitiontrainingforamateurbuilts.[1][2][5]

Field

Homebuiltaviation
advocacy

Numberof

26Companies

Members
Key
Personnel

President:John
Monnett
VicePresident:Dick
VanGrunsven
Secretary:Dave
Gustafson

Theorganizationwasformedthoughaseriesoftelephone
conversationsheldinthespringof2012betweenkitaircraft
www.akia.aero
Website
manufacturers.Theyagreedthattherewereproblemswithindustry
(http://www.akia.aero/)
stagnation,issuesbetweenthemanufacturers,theFAAandthe
ExperimentalAircraftAssociationandsawtheneedtopooltheir
resourcestoaddresstheseproblems.Inparticulartheyneededasinglevoicetoaddresspotentialregulatory
changesthatmightbebroughtforwardtoaddresssafety.[5]
SpeakingfortheorganizationatAirVenture2012,President&FounderDickVanGrunsvenstatedonthe
subjectofthekitaircraftaccidentrecord:"it'stimewemakeourpresenceknownandbecomeproactivein
addressingsafetyissues...moreattentionshouldbepaidtothefirstpreflight."Healsosingledouttransition
trainingforpilotsbuyingkitaircraftandflighttestingaccidents.Heconcluded,"collectively,wehavethe
knowledgeandexperiencetomakeadifferenceintheculture."[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_Kit_Industry_Association

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InaninterviewinDecember2012VanGrunsvensaid"WeseeAKIAasbeingthekeysourceofinformation
andcounselforourindustryandforthebroadereldofEABaircraftconstructionandoperation.Wehave
alreadyestablishedverypositivecontactswithEAA,FAA,NTSB,AOPA,SETP,GAMAandLAMA.We
havecommoninterestswithallnongovernmentgroups,andwithgovernmentagenciesaswell,becauseofour
sharedinterestsinaviationsafety.Wedonotseeourselvesasathreattoanybecausesuccesswithinour
industryonlyincreasestheaviationactivityonwhichmemberorganizationssuchasEAAandAOPAthrive."[5]

Officers
Theassociation'sfirstofficersinclude:[1][2]
PresidentJohnMonnett[6]
VicePresidentDickVanGrunsven
SecretaryDaveGustafson.

Membership
Theinitialmemberswere:[1][2]
AircraftSpruce&SpecialtyCo
KitfoxAircraft
Lancair
SonexAircraft
Van'sAircraft
WicksAircraftSupply
ZenithAircraftCompany

References
1. Pew,Glenn(6July2012)."AKIATheKitManufacturers'Association"
(http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AKIA_experimental_homebuilt_kit_aircraft_association_FAA_NTSB
_2069381.html).AVweb.Retrieved9July2012.
2. Hirschman,Dave(2012)."Aircraftkitindustryformsnewassociation"
(http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2012/120629aircraftkitindustryformsnewassociation.html).Aircraft
OwnersandPilotsAssociation.Retrieved9July2012.
3. Wood,Janice(5July2012)."Kitmanufacturersformnewassociation"
(http://www.generalaviationnews.com/2012/07/05/kitmanufacturersformnewassociation/).General
AviationNews.Retrieved9July2012.
4. Pew,Glenn(27July2012)."KitAssociationRespondingToNTSB"
(http://www.avweb.com/news/airventure/akia_experimental_safety_ntsb_aircraft_airventure_2070941.html).
AVweb.Retrieved28July2012.
5. Bernard,MaryandSuzanneB.Bopp:Q&AwithAKIAPresidentDickVanGrunsven,Kitplanes,Volume29,
Number12,December2012,page2829.BelvoirPublications.ISSN08911851
6. SportAviation:54.February2015.

Externallinks
Officialwebsite(http://www.akia.aero/)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_Kit_Industry_Association

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