[rotorwrench]

I remember when the GM HEI distributors came out. Those were the first ones that I can remember being able to hear the spark events with the engine running. It was when the spark jumped from the rotor to the cap during each high tension release.

Aviation is just now getting approvals for electronic trigger fired mags. The breaker points are eliminated but they still have rotating magnets. This will eventually allow for load control when they prove reliability. Everything in aviation has to prove how long it will last. Bearings used to last the overhaul limit of the engine but that eventually went out the window with higher TBOs. Some brands are limited to 500 hours and some still have 1000 hour limits. Nothing lasts forever in that business.