SPEAKERS

2020 SPEAKERS Thank you Aviators for sharing your stories.

Rachel Hansen, Event Coordinator Washington Aviation Association(WAA)

The one thing all our speakers have in common is they are passionate about aviation and graciously share their stories and knowledge with other aviators and aircraft owners. Other than that, there are no rules. When I first took on this established event nineteen years ago there was only one speaker area– the second floor of the Pavilion Hall. The goal was to pack the schedule with one stream of interesting, and sometimes very expensive, aviation greats. When we moved to the newly built Showplex Exhibit Hall – everything changed.

Suddenly we had five rooms equipped with high tech audio visual as well as the keynote area seating over 1000 – the sky was the limit.

We were able to accommodate historical presentations, provide space for group annual meetings, host product demonstrations and even began offering an on site FAA approved IA Renewal course for aviation mechanics that had the added effect of bringing in more aircraft parts companies hoping to connect with the new influx of mechanics attending the event.

Some of the product demonstrations have become standards over the year – like Wayne McGhee’s annual Saturday morning Garmin update or Seattle Avionics’s educational workshops. SPA president, Steve McCaughey’s seaplane centric sessions are popular and also presenting new and current information on float flying. The Aviation Safety Institute’s annual sessions are also always on point.

We are very grateful to the many speakers who take the time each year to volunteer to include the Northwest Aviation Conference in their annual agenda: thank you Johnny Summers, Bruce Williams and Gary Reeves – your educational spirit is engaging, appreciated, and integral to the success of this event!

One of our well received and reliable speakers we count on each year is MIKE ADAMS, Senior Vice President of Underwriting with Avemco. Mike is an instrument-rated pilot, a Northwest native and the former President of the Oregon Pilots Association. Mike holds a property and casualty insurance license in all 50 states. His more than 37 years of combined experience of general aviation and the aviation insurance industry helps pilots to understand why many of Avemco’s coverages and underwriting decisions are designed to help keep you safe.

An award-winning author, TOM HAINES, Senior Vice President, Media and Outreach at AOPA was named editor in chief of AOPA Pilot in 1994. Under his leadership, AOPA has expanded its media properties to include Flight Training magazine and a host of electronic media. He is the co-anchor of the weekly video magazine AOPA Live This Week. His staff also manages AOPA’s presence at regional fly-ins and air shows.

Haines holds an MBA and a BA in Journalism. He is a 3,500-hour Commercial pilot with multiengine, instrument, and seaplane ratings, and holds type ratings in Eclipse 500 and Cessna CJ business jets and a second-incommand type rating in the North American B-25. He owns a Beech A36 Bonanza.

Haines will be speaking at 1:00 Saturday on General Aviation in the New Decade. Prior to joining ASI, Alicia worked as a flight instructor, air tour pilot, and also towed banners in Citabrias. Originally from Los Angeles, Alicia received a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science from Rocky Mountain College. She enjoys reading, hiking, music, baseball, and all types of adventure. Alicia is an active pilot and aspires to learn aerobatics and own her first airplane. Alicia will be speaking both days in the Keynote Area on behalf of the Air Safety Institute.

Author and flight instructor AMY HOOVER has been flying commercially and teaching backcountry flying for more than 25 years. She has over 7,000 hours of flight time, more than 2/3 of it in the Idaho backcountry, and is an original co-founder of the Mountain/Canyon Flying School in McCall, Idaho. Hoover is the primary author of the 2019 book Mountain, Canyon, and Backcountry Flying, and has given more than 100 presentations in various forums throughout the U.S. She holds a Ph.D. in Education and is a Professor of Aviation at Central Washington University.

Amy will be speaking on Saturday, FEB 22, in the Keynote area at 3:30 PM.

PAUL F. DYE

CWU’s Amy Hoover featured in General Aviation News

him from Alaska to Australia – and everywhere in between. He served with the US Air Force Special Operations Command working the AC-130 Gunship, and has spent the majority of his flying time in tailwheel, seaplanes, aerobatic aircraft, and warbirds. Steve was instrumental in creating a Seaplane Rating Scholarship program, working with organizations to save seaplane access and has created an app for SPA members listing seaplane landing areas, flight schools, and destinations.

Steve speaks Saturday and Sunday on seaplane topics as well as serves as a mentor speaker and moderator at the NW Aviation Career Forum.

ASI Speaker, Alicia Herron

New to the NWAC schedule is ALICIA HERRON, and aviation write and speaker for the Air Safety Institute. Herron develops content including scripts for ASI’s safety videos, articles, and seminars. Alicia joined the team in September 2018.

8 A familiar face at the NW Aviation Conference is STEVE MCCAUGHEY. Steve has been the Executive Director of the Seaplane Pilots Association since 2011 and travels each year from his home in Florida to get a taste of our cold weather but warm Northwest hospitality. His aviation experiences have taken

New to the Speaker schedule in 2020 is author ART KRULL. Arthur Krull is a native of Seattle and a graduate of the University of Washington. He has had a successful career as a civil, military, and commercial pilot. His being hijacked to Cuba in 1980, while as a Second Officer on a Delta Airlines flight, changed his life. In the years since, he has told the story of his highjacking as a motivational speaker to audiences, Author, Art Krull

NORTHWEST AVIATION CONFERENCE JOIN AOPA AT THE 2020

SATURDAY | 2.22.20

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Keynote Area REAL BEST GLIDE Alicia Herron – AOPA Air Safety Institute You’re taking your college-age daughter to a twoweek mountaineering course at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Laramie, Wyoming. It’s a routine kind of flight in your turbocharged A36 Bonanza. What could go wrong? Join the AOPA Air Safety Institute as we examine “what would you do” in this real-world scenario.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Keynote Area GENERAL AVIATION IN THE NEW DECADE Tom Haines – AOPA Senior Vice President Award winning author and co-anchor of the weekly video magazine AOPA Live This Week, Tom Haines provides his views on keeping GA vibrant for the next generation. Tom was named editor in chief of AOPA Pilot magazine in 1994. Under his leadership, AOPA has expanded its media properties to include Flight Training magazine and a host of electronic media.

SUNDAY | 2.23.20

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Keynote Area ROUGH RUNNING AT WAUCHULA Alicia Herron – AOPA Air Safety Institute What looks like a perfect partnership in a Cessna Cardinal gets a bit rough over unforgiving swampland. How will you resolve an engine issue and personality conflict when it’s not your airplane— even though your backside will be in just as much trouble if the motor quits completely? Join the AOPA Air Safety Institute as we examine “what would you do” in this real-world scenarios

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who have often encouraged him to write a book about the experience. Now retired, Art lives with his wife near Paine Field in Everett, Washington, where he has began his flying in 1967. He is a Volunteer Ambassador at the Boeing Future of Flight Aviation Center, and he writes articles about aviation for it’s volunteer Newsletter. Art will be sharing his exciting story both days at the Conference.

JEFFREY LUSTICK, owner of Tomahawk Aero Services will be speaking on aircraft sales Saturday. Lustick is a graduate of Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, and has practiced aviation law for 20 years. Jeff’s seminar is designed to provide helpful information and pro-tips to first-time airplane buyers seeking to find their dream airplanes. He will cover what to look for when shopping for an airplane, from what airplane models are the most desirable to purchase and own, to how to evaluate engines, airframes, and avionics. He will also cover the best process for reaching a fair purchase price, and how to negotiate with brokers and private sellers. Finally, he will discuss the legal paperwork, such as sales contracts, escrow options, etc., and cover the FAA forms needed to safely buy your new airplane. He will answer questions and hand out printed sample forms during the seminar.

As always, we are pleased to hold a place Saturday morning for WAYNE MCGHEE. Wayne is the Northwest Regional Sales Manager for Garmin International. An instrument rated private pilot, he has nearly three decades of experience working for avionics manufacturers like IIMorrow Inc, UPS Aviation Technologies, and Garmin. Wayne was also involved in the first widespread test of ADSB technology in Alaska known as the Capstone project. While working with Garmin, Wayne has conduct ADSB themed seminars educating fellow pilots on how the system works.

Philip Mandel poses on the nose of his Cessna 150. For the last couple years PHILIP MANDEL has been traveling up from his home in Oregon to teach the AOPA Rusty Pilot’s workshop. This year we are pleased to welcome back him as a new regular on the Keynote schedule. When Philip Mandel was young, he had no idea flying could be affordable for someone with an average income or possible for someone with an IQ under 200 – that was until he met a private pilot, just a “regular guy” with an average job, who flew for fun and owned a beautiful Mooney M20. The very next day, Phil drove to his local flight school and signed up for lessons. The bug bit so deeply that sometimes he went for two or even three flight lessons per day! That was back in 1981. He earned his Private Pilot certificate followed by an Instrument rating, Commercial Pilot certificate, CFI, CFI-I, MEI, and more recently AGI and IGI certificates and ratings.

Through the years he has owned airplanes ranging from a C-150 to a Piper Apache and is currently the proud owner of his tenth flying machine, a Thorp T-18 (Experimental). Now a “recovering engineer,” Phil is an independent flight instructor based at Starks Twin Oaks Airpark (7S3) near Hillsboro OR.

Philip will be presenting both days at the 2020 Northwest Aviation Conference.

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Johnny Summers

Annual show planning with JOHNNY SUMMERS usually starts with – “use me whereever you need me, Rachel.” And that’s the kind of ardent aviation supporter Johnny is. An excellent educator, inspiring and always smiling – he is an important element of what makes someone continue this job after 19 years!

Johnny is a professional pilot with over 13,000 hours. He is an FAA DPE, airline pilot, academic, and consultant. He administers tests for ASEL Private, Instrument, Commercial, military competency, foreign pilot conversion, Canadian conversion, CFI, and CFII certificates. Johnny started flying as a US Army helicopter pilot. He transferred to the USAF and flew KC-135s. He piloted the US Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue competition parachute team and was an instructor pilot at the Academy’s Flight Screening Program. Johnny spent three years as an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at Texas Christian University where he was recognized for his teaching skills. Johnny has been a Regional Director of Flight Operations, Regional Director of Training, Chief Flight Instructor, Chief Pilot, and FAR §141 Commercial Chief Instructor. In 1997, Johnny was recognized as the FAA National Aviation Safety Counselor of the Year. In 2012 Johnny received the Washington Aviation Association’s Spirit of Aviation Award. Currently Johnny is flying 737s for Alaska Airlines. Academically, he is an Assistant Professor for ERAU with a Ph.D. in Business Administration. His graduate and post graduate studies focused on aviation and airport management, airport construction, and finance. Johnny and his family make their home in Buckley, Washington, USA. Johnny will be speaking Saturday at the Conference and is once again offering his services to present at the Career Forum.

GARY REEVES is a well known national speaker and expert in Single Pilot IFR and GPS use. He teaches individuals and trains whole airline staffs how to use the new Avidyne and Garmin

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Units. He has over 6,900 hours, a Master CFI, is the only Avidyne National Training provider and was the 2016 FAA Instructor of the Year, WP region. Learn more at PilotSafety.org. Gary resides in CA.

11 BRUCE WILLIAMS is the owner of BruceAir, LLC, an aviation consulting, training, and pilot-services company based in Seattle, WA. A pilot since the early 1970s, he is a certified flight instructor and FAASTeam representative in the Seattle area. Today, he focuses on training for technically advanced aircraft (TAA), the Beechcraft Bonanza series, and stall/spin/upset courses in an Extra 300L aerobatic aircraft. He also instructs at Galvin Flying Services at Boeing Field. During his career at Microsoft, he worked on six versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator. In the 1980s, he edited the Western Flyer (now the General Aviation News). He has authored two books on using PC-based simulation to complement flight training, plus many features on a variety of topics for aviationfocused periodicals. Bruce will once again speak both days at the NW Aviation Conference and we thank him for his support.