Mid-Continent Instruments adds to product line

BY MOLLY MCMILLIN
The Wichita Eagle

Mid-Continent Instruments is growing its product line.

The Wichita-based company manufactures and services aircraft instruments for the general aviation industry. The company employs 178 -- 153 in Wichita and 25 at a facility in Van Nuys, Calif.

Business is growing steadily, said Mid-Continent president Todd Winter.

Mid-Continent recently became one of three facilities in the U.S. to offer full testing and repair on the autopilot system components on Bendix/King or Honeywell autopilot systems.

"We made a major investment -- close to $100,000 in very specialized test equipment and training," Winter said.

The autopilots are used in new Cessna Aircraft, Diamond Aircraft and Piper Aircraft planes.

"It's a big step forward," he said.

Mid-Continent also has a new product for Garmin International's Wide Area Augmentation System that's compatible with global positioning system receivers.

Garmin's system gives aircraft operators a more accurate signal, Winter said. Mid-Continent is offering special annunciation display units needed for many of the installations.

It also has introduced an emergency power supply product used for automatic backup power for Mid-Continent's electric attitude indicators and lighting power to the attitude indicator, airspeed and altimeter.

The instrument activates if there is a power loss.

"Another level of redundancy and reliability to your navigating system," Winter said.

Lastly, Mid-Continent has introduced a new 2-inch course deviation indicator. Its size saves space on the instrument panel.

Mid-Continent's customers include Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Garmin International, Piper Aircraft Co., Columbia and Robinson Helicopter Co.