Thank you, Ed (Bolen), and thank you NBAA for inviting me here today. Welcome Patrick (Ky), it’s great to see you again. 

It’s quite extraordinary that we are able to come together from across the world here in Orlando only weeks after a devastating hurricane swept across the state.

The fact that we’re here today speaks to resilience—for the State of Florida and your citizens, for NBAA and all of your members and vendors, and for this industry.

Just hours before Ian came ashore on September 28th, a NOAA P-3 Orion, better known as Kermit, was mapping out the storm’s eye and eyewall. The pilots had to abort the mission early due to the extreme winds and turbulence. According to NOAA, it’s the first time in the history of their program that a hurricane hunting mission had to be abandoned midstream…. That’s how bad it was. 

The FAA’s job was to keep our people and the airspace safe, and that included closing down airport towers and facilities where appropriate and helping first responders by setting up airspace coordination areas, and in some case, TFRs. We also spent a lot of time telling drone hobbyists to stay away, but approved drone operators did—and still are—providing essential surveillance missions in the region.

I know NBAA lent a helping hand through your network of volunteers, and general aviation in general provided much needed support though groups like AERObridge and Operation Airdrop. 

But that’s how we roll in this business. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Aviation makes us all friends when we strive for the same goals—safe and efficient travel that benefits everyone. Oceans can’t separate us—I know Patrick and I agree on this—nor even flight levels to the edge of space. 

Having common goals and bonds is essential as we work to seamlessly integrate the next generation of innovative vehicles into our airspace. 

Evolution in aerospace is fundamental to who we are, and evolution is clearly on display here at NBAA, particularly in the Advanced Air Mobility halls…. Only a handful of years ago these concepts seemed like science fiction. 

But because of a perfect storm of technology, innovation and sensible regulation, we will soon have a new route to the sky with the first generation of electric advanced air mobility vehicles—likely as soon as 2024 here in the U.S.

The roadmap for aerospace evolution is quite basic: We allow innovators to do what they do best—innovate—while we at the FAA create safe certification pathways, not roadblocks. We don’t compromise on safety, because that’s our bottom line. It’s the bottom line for all regulators. 

I’ll end by saying this about the future of aviation and aerospace—fasten your seatbelts. It’s coming, it’s fantastic, and we’re thrilled to be on the leading edge.

Thank you again for the invite, and I look forward to our discussion.