The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) will unveil the 15th annual edition of the “Pilot’s Guide to Avionics” at AirVenture, which will be held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from July 24 to 30. The association also announced that it will make cash awards to five winning aircraft owners as an incentive to meet the FAA’s ADS-B OUT mandate.

AEA staff will distribute complimentary copies of the avionics guide to pilots and aircraft owners at Booth 2035/2036 in Hangar B at Oshkosh Wittman Regional Airport. The 2017-18 edition of the guide contains educational articles, timely information and data about new avionics technologies. This year, the publication provides in-depth coverage of the FAA’s mandate requiring that aircraft flying in controlled airspace equip with ADS-B OUT avionics by Jan. 1, 2020.

The guide serves as a resource to help pilots and aircraft owners make better buying decisions and locate nearly 1,300 AEA member companies in 40 countries, including government-certified repair stations specializing in maintenance, repair and installation of avionics in general aviation aircraft. Manufacturers and distributors, technical schools and universities, engineers and consultants are also listed.

In addition to the initial distribution at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh event, thousands of copies of the guide will be distributed at industry trade shows and to all AEA member companies at no charge.

Separately, AEA will randomly award five aircraft owners with $1,000 toward an ADS-B compliant upgrade during AirVenture Oshkosh. Aircraft owners who are at least 18 years old may enter to win at the AEA booth beginning on July 24.

The association will announce one winner each day through July 28 via its social media outlets Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. One entry gives aircraft owners a chance to win each of the five daily drawings.

Winners must use an AEA-member avionics repair station to complete the installation, which must be scheduled by Aug. 1, 2018.

“The repair shop industry in the U.S. has less than 2.5 years to equip the general aviation fleet of more than 100,000 aircraft with ADS-B OUT avionics,” said AEA president Paula Derks. “Aircraft owners who wait to equip will face scheduling pressure and likely higher installation costs as we get closer to the Jan. 1, 2020 deadline.”