SILVER SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA) celebrates 80 Years in Business

Behind every great student are some great training tools – and ASA has been the leader in bringing the best in aviation training products since 1940 – right here in the Pacific Northwest! The NW Aviation Conference is pleased to congratulate them on this milestone and is also honored to welcome ASA back as a Silver Level event sponsor at the 2020 event. Stop by and visit with their team during the Show at booths #624-625.

ASA was started as Merrell Aviation Ground School by Creighton Merrell in 1940. The company’s primary goal soon became the training of post-war military pilots returning from active duty to work in the early civilian airlines. Plotters, regulations and training manuals were the first products. In 1960, the company broadened its production and development efforts with pilot supplies and books added to the ground school training line. In 1969, the company became Northwest School of Aviation under a new owner, Roy Beech. The company’s goal was the franchise of the popular Merrell Ground School under the name “Aviation Seminars of America,” or ASA.

In November, 1976, Joe Cucchiari purchased the company. “Aviation Supplies and Academics” replaced Aviation Seminars of America as the name to go with the ASA acronym, and the company again broadened its product line with cassette courses and new books and training materials. The company was incorporated in 1977. In 1981, Joe Finelli joined the organization, bringing 20 years of experience in printing and publishing with him. Publishing and manufacturing has since become the principle company mission.

In 1984, the sale of the ground school (Aviation Training and Research, Inc.) and the retail store (The Aviator’s Store) allowed all efforts to be directed towards becoming a major supplier of pilot supplies and educational material in the United States. In 1985 Mike Lorden joined ASA as Marketing Director. That year, ASA moved to larger quarters in Georgetown, and again to its present Newcastle location in 1990 to provide more warehouse and office space.

Jackie Spanitz joined the operation in 1993 and is currently ASA General Manager. ASA remains a family-owned business, overseen by Mike Lorden, President. The ASA FAR/AIM has been in publication since 1945, and the ASA Test Preps have been in production for more than 60 years. Since those early days, many products have been added to the line including textbooks, software, apps, online courses, videos, flight instructor tools, aviation maintenance technician materials, logbooks, flight computers (manual E6B and the electronic CX-3), aviation plotters, kneeboards, flight bags, remote pilot and drone materials, and more. Pilot supply items and book titles are being added, as our team of Authors and Subject Matter Experts continues to grow.

ASA’s distribution network has grown as well, with domestic and international distributors promoting and representing the full ASA product line around the globe. ASA products are used worldwide in all training environments: ICAO, CAA, FAA Part 61/107/141/147, airline, manufacturers training, colleges, universities, civilian and military, STEM/magnet programs, ab initio training, general aviation airports, and by aviators everywhere for self-study.

Today ASA is the leading publisher of aviation books and the largest producer of pilot supplies in the USA, providing trusted materials for more than 80 years. Stop by and say hi at #624-625.