Commercial, Embedded Avionics

Collins Aerospace Has a New Avionics Chief

Steve Timm is the new president of the avionics division of Collins Aerospace. Photo: Collins Aerospace

Steve Timm is the new president of avionics at Collins Aerospace, taking over for Kent Statler, who will retire after 32 years with the avionics manufacturer that merged with UTC Aerospace Systems in 2018.

Statler became the head of Collins Aerospace newly re-structured avionics division as a result of United Technologies (UTC) $30 billion acquisition that merged the former Rockwell Collins with its own aerospace systems business that now includes more than 16,000 engineers globally. During an interview featured in the February 2019 edition of Avionics International, Statler explained how Collins wants to develop smarter sensor systems and further integrate its aircraft connectivity technologies into air traffic management infrastructure in the future.

Statler will have no further executive role or ties to the aerospace giant in the future.

“In an e-mail to employees, Statler stated that he and his family have a strong passion for local and global ministry and mission work and look forward to taking some time to pay it forward in his retirement,” a representative for Collins said in an emailed statement.

A new lab being built by Collins Aerospace will design and test electric aircraft propulsion technology. Photo: Collins Aerospace

Timm has taken on the new role effective immediately, and will report directly to Kelly Ortberg, chief executive officer of Collins Aerospace. He will now assume the lead role for all avionics programs, including Collins ongoing supply of cockpit displays for the grounded Boeing 737 MAX and a new partnership to use Wind River’s Helix virtualization embedded development platform to create a more open architecture for its avionics computers.

Nate Boelkins, who led a media tour of the new Rockford, Illinois-based Collins Aerospace electric aircraft power lab in April, will take over the role that Timm left, as vice president and general manager of commercial avionics.

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