Gary Harpster Begins New Role As Chairman

Members of the Aircraft Electronics Association recently elected new representatives to its board of directors, and the AEA board of directors elected a new chairman and new vice chairman. The new AEA chairman is Gary Harpster, a senior avionics sales representative for Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb. A long-time AEA member who has served as vice chairman since 2010, Harpster was first elected to the AEA board of directors in 2005. After he got out of the U.S. Navy in 1976, Harpster acquired both his private and commercial pilot's licenses. He then went back to school at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and later transferred to Iowa Western, where he received a degree in electronics technology.

Harpster flew for Omaha Air Supply for two years before joining Sky Harbor in Omaha as manager of the avionics shop. In 1985, he joined Duncan Aviation and helped set up its first satellite shop in Houston, Texas. After Houston, he helped develop a second shop in Cleveland, Ohio. During his early career, Harpster wrote repair station manuals and bought test equipment to get the shops running. He then became an avionics technical representative, troubleshooting aircraft systems. During the CVR era, he moved into his current position in avionics sales. Harpster replaces Greg Vail of Flightstar Corp., who served as chairman the past three years and now becomes the immediate past chairman.

David Loso, manager of avionics sales for Jet Aviation St. Louis, was elected by the board to serve as its new vice chairman. Loso was first elected to the AEA board of directors in 2009, and he has been in business aviation for 34 years. Loso began his career with Bellanca Aircraft Company while attending Alexandria Technical College in Alexandria, Minn. After graduation, he moved to Wichita, Kan., taking a position with Cessna at the Citation Service Center as an avionics technician. In 1979, Loso accepted an avionics bench technician position with Rockwell Collins in Wichita, Kan. In 1981, he moved to Houston, Texas, to work for Garrett Aviation. During the next 18 years with Garrett, he served in several positions with the avionics department, including avionics shop supervisor.
 
Loso returned to his hometown of St. Louis, Mo., in 1998, as director of avionics for JetCorp and then moved to Premier Air Center four years later as director of avionics. Loso has been in avionics sales since 2005, first as national avionics sales manager with Jet Aviation in West Palm Beach and now with Jet Aviation St. Louis as a result of the merger of Midcoast Aviation with Jet Aviation. Loso has served on the advisory board for the Alexandria Technical College avionics program, and he has been selected to serve on many of the major avionics manufacturer dealer advisory boards. He also has served as a member of the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Business Aircraft Association. 
 
The following members also were elected to serve for a three-year term of April 2013 to April 2016:

• Chuck Freeland, Otto Instrument Service
• Tom Harper, Avidyne
• Garry Joyce, IAE Ltd.
• Michael Kus, Avionics 2000
• Mike LaConto, Epps Aviation
• Rick Peavley, Vero Beach Avionics
• Brian Wilson, Banyan Air Services

(Images provided by AEA Left: Gary Harpster, Right: David Loso)

FMI: www.aea.net