Season's Greetings
A Message From the Regional Administrator
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you the very best during this holiday season.
Once again, the support of the Eastern Region team has enabled us to achieve our goals for 1996. We have accomplished both the vision and mission of the FAA. We have provided successful programs in aviation education, pursued diversity in the workplace, made a strong commitment to equal employment opportunities, improved customer service to customers and employees and continued to insure that our aviation system remains the safest in the world.
I'd like to express my thanks and appreciation to "you" as a dedicated team member who has helped to
make it happen. May all of you and your families enjoy happiness during this joyous season and may
you go forth to a successful New Year.
Arlene B. Feldman
The College of Aeronautics Ceremonial Groundbreaking
On October 11, 1996, the College of Aeronautics at LaGuardia Airport, Flushing, NY broke ground on construction of a new two-story classroom building, new hangar and new entranceway. The college of Aeronautics is one of the FAA's Aviation Education Resource Centers.
Eastern Region's Flight Standards Division Manager Receives Special Recognition
Flight Standards Division Manager Nicholas A. Sabatini was honored with the presentation of the Presidential Meritorious Executive Service Award. This award recognizes exceptional performance over an extended period of time by Senior Executive Service career appointees. Since his appointment to the Senior Executive Service in October of 1990, Mr. Sabatini has made many significant contributions to the recent successes and the future plans for the Federal Aviation Administration's Flight Standards Service. He has received several awards and citations including the Secretary's Award for Meritorious Achievement.
His leadership role has brought success to the Part 145 Harmonization/Bilateral Maintenance Agreement Project which establishes the policy and the process that Germany, France, and the United Kingdom will follow to conduct certification and surveillance activities on our behalf. As other countries become part to this agreement, they will follow steps established under his direction. Mr. Sabatini has also become a major contributor to this country's efforts to assist the Russian Federation of the Commonwealth of Independent States in their pursuit to build an organization that mirrors the FAA.
As manager of the Eastern Region Flight Standards Division, which is tasked with providing the public with accident-free aircraft operations in seven states, Eastern Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Russian states, he headed the FAA’s Suspected Unapproved Parts Task Force which provided a comprehensive report and plan that allowed the Agency to move forward in that arena. As chairman of the Flight Standards Service’s Training and Automation Committee (TAC) since 1990, he has led the way for the development of many strategic plans that resulted in the Master Plan for Training and the AFS Information System Strategy. In looking for an economical way to accomplish his division’s international work program, the Gateway City Concept was developed which proved to save the taxpayers thousands of dollars by having aviation safety inspectors based in the U.S. do work previously done by European based inspectors.
Mr. Sabatini has supported the Mid-Level Managerial Development Program, the DOT Fellows Program, the Eastern Region’s Perspective Women Manager’s Program, the Pre-Supervisory and Management Development Program, and the FAA Executive Potential Program. He is one of the Service Director’s principal advisors as a member of the Quality Management Council. He held the leadership role on a recent investigation of a major repair station which resulted in voluntary surrendering of the certificate by the repair station and the FAA collected the largest penalty in its history.
Through his leadership, the Eastern Region Flight Standards team has been empowered and is highly successful because they recognize who their customers are, anticipate their needs, and respond in the public interest... safety is always their primary concern. Accomplishments in this division include diversity hiring goals that were met, and Equal Employment Opportunity and Sexual Harassment awareness that were accomplished.
Mr. Sabatini was born in Vasto, Italy, attended John Jay College in New York City and received extensive aviation training at various schools where he received his airline transport pilot rating. For 18 years, he was a police officer with the City of New York where he served as a helicopter pilot performing search and rescue missions, Presidential escort and organized crime surveillance. He joined U.S. Customs for three years where he performed aerial surveillance and law enforcement duties. He was hired in the FAA in March 1979 as principal operations inspector at the Charleston, WV FSDO. He returned to NY in 1983 as operations staff officer at the Regional Office. In 1986, he joined the Flight Standards Division as Operations Branch manager, assistant division manager in 1987, and in 1990 he became the division manager.
In appreciation of this award, he said, "I believe that one of the greatest achievements in life is to be recognized by your own peers... and knowing that, there are no words to express how honored I am to have received such a prestigious award."
Another recipient honored was Dr. Andres Zellweger, director of the Office of Aviation Research.
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