ASA was started as Merrell Aviation Ground School by Creighton Merrell in 1940 in Seattle, Washington. The company’s primary goal became the training of post-war military pilots returning from active duty to work in the early civilian airlines. Plotters, regulations, and training manuals were the first products. In 1960, the company broadened its production and development efforts with additional pilot supplies and books added to the ground school training line.
In 1969, the company became Northwest School of Aviation under a new owner, Roy Beech. The company’s goal was the franchise of the popular Merrell Ground School under the name “Aviation Seminars of America” (doing business as ASA).
In November 1976, Joe Cucchiari purchased the company. “Aviation Supplies & Academics” replaced Aviation Seminars of America as the name to go with the ASA acronym, and the company again broadened its product line to add cassette courses and new books and training materials. The company was incorporated in 1977. In 1981, Joe Finelli joined the organization, bringing 20 years of experience in printing and publishing. Publishing and manufacturing became the company’s primary mission.
In 1984, the sale of the ground school (Aviation Training and Research, Inc.) and the retail store (The Aviator’s Store) allowed all efforts to be directed toward becoming a major supplier of pilot supplies and educational material in the United States.
In 2022, ASA was bought by ASA Michigan, of which Sales Manager Greg Robbins is President and majority owner. In December 2025, ASA moved from Newcastle, Washington, to its current location in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The ASA FAR/AIM has been in publication since 1945, and the ASA Test Preps have been in production for more than 60 years. Since those early days, many products have been added to the line including textbooks, software, apps, online courses, videos, flight instructor tools, aviation mechanic materials, logbooks, flight computers (manual E6B and the electronic CX-3), aviation plotters, kneeboards, flight bags, remote pilot and drone materials, and more. Additional pilot supply items and book titles have been added as our team of authors and subject matter experts has continued to grow.
Our distribution network has evolved, with domestic and international distributors representing the full ASA product line around the globe. ASA products are used worldwide in all training environments: ICAO, CAA, FAA Parts 61/91/107/121/135/141/147, manufacturers’ training, colleges, universities, STEM/magnet programs, ab initio training, general aviation airports, and by aviators everywhere for self-study.
Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc., does business as “ASA.” ASA is the leading publisher of aviation books and the largest producer of pilot supplies in the United States today, providing trusted materials for more than 85 years.