Mid-Continent Instruments announced today the appointment of Mark W. Smith as Quality Assurance Manager. Smith will be responsible for quality control, inspection, maintenance of technical data, and regulatory compliance with federal, state and international agencies at the general aviation instrument, avionics and power management manufacturer and FAA/EASA certified repair facility.

“Mark brings an excellent record of leadership and product knowledge to this position,” said Charles Shumate, Director of Quality Assurance for Mid-Continent Instruments. “He recognizes our core purpose of delivering the best possible quality in all of our products, and he is very familiar with the essential and important role of interacting with the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulatory and certification agencies. We’re very pleased to add him to the Mid-Continent Instruments team.”

Smith is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a Crew Supervisor and Electronics Technician, providing maintenance and systems support on both the A6-E Intruder and the AV-8A/C Harrier aircraft. In 1988, he joined the Bendix/King Division of Honeywell Aerospace in Wichita before moving to Aircraft Instrument and Radio as a Gyro/Electronic Technician in 1992. He returned to Honeywell Aerospace in 1997 as a Gyro/Electronic Principal Technician before being elevated to Customer Quality Engineer. During his decade-long tenure at Honeywell, he provided on-site support to aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and earned Six Sigma Green Belt certification.

In 2007, Smith joined Hawker Beechcraft Corp. as a Senior Supplier Quality Engineer and went on to become Quality Manager on the Hawker 4000 business jet, where he managed all aspects of the airplane’s production and field quality issues. He also supported the Premier program as a Team Lead Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE), acting as the Subject Matter Expert for all avionics systems, including the Honeywell EPIC, Rockwell Collins ProLine 21 and Garmin G1000 platforms.

While working at Honeywell, Smith received both a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Operations Technology and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Southwestern College.

About Mid-Continent Instruments
Mid-Continent Instruments manufactures and repairs aircraft instruments, avionics and power solutions for the general aviation industry. Services at the Wichita, Kan., facility include custom design, manufacturing, overhaul/exchange and repair. Mid-Continent Instruments – West in Van Nuys, Calif., provides new instrument sales and is the top-rated instrument overhaul shop on the West Coast. Specialties include gyro, altimeter, HSI and autopilot system overhauls. Mid-Continent Instruments products are found in most Cessna-built aircraft and Hawker Beechcraft’s line of Bonanzas, Barons and King Airs. Other key customers include Garmin International, Cirrus, Diamond, Piper, Robinson Helicopter Co., Vulcanair, Eurocopter and Bell Helicopter. For more information visit mcico.com.