Hello everyone, and thank you for coming to InfoShare. I’m Billy Nolen, the new Acting Administrator of the FAA. I might be new to the agency … having joined in December as the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety …  but I’ve been a safety advocate for decades. I got my start with the U.S. Army and later flew for domestic and international airlines.

I know the value of InfoShare, and your participation here speaks volumes about your dedication to safety, and to the people everywhere who count on aviation as a safe and efficient form of transportation. 

I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you today, but I do plan on joining you—in person—in six months. I hope there’s room! You know you’ve got something good going on when attendance comes roaring back. We have well over 1,200 people registered for this week’s event, and by the time you see this, you may have set a new record for participation. 

I know that everyone here this week is more than ready to talk about safety, and to openly share information. By doing that, you are collectively making this industry better and safer. I’m in awe of the special bond among this group—that you are willing to stand in front of your peers and raise concerns so that others may learn. That’s only possible because of the trust you’ve built.

This is a Just Culture and a Reporting Culture in action, both of which are fundamental to a healthy Safety Culture. What’s also fundamental is InfoShare’s core rule – What’s said here, stays here. But what is learned here, goes out into the world in the form of a safer aviation system.  

I know that airlines have this process down pat – you’ve been doing this since a handful of carriers met in a room in the mid-1990s. But what’s particularly encouraging to me is all of the new sectors that are joining InfoShare—the rotorcraft industry, business aviation, OEMs. I’m hoping more and more will come to InfoShare.

On the horizon, we have whole new industries and new entrants, like drones, commercial space and advanced air mobility, coming to the airspace, and we want them to join us too. I’m reminded of the character Martin Brody, in the movie Jaws, when he told the captain, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat...”

But that’s a good thing. We can all help to spread the Safety Culture message—everyone in this business must know they can share safety concerns so together, we can reduce risks. 

Keep sharing, and keep up the great work. I can’t wait to see you next time.