InfoShare Meeting, Baltimore, MD – Opening Remarks

Good morning, it’s good to see everyone.

Thank you to the more than 1,300 people here for participating in this week’s meeting. InfoShare has grown tremendously since its inception.

Back in 2007, I was one of the original signatories calling for us to bring ASIAS into InfoShare meetings. We wanted to have a protected means of bringing together safety data from across the industry to identify and understand the risks in the system. 

Since that time, we’ve made so much progress.

ASAP and other data collection efforts have matured. 

SMS programs have matured.

And we’ve built on the trust and transparency between government and industry.

Together, we’ve reduced the fatality risk in US commercial aviation by 95 percent over the past 25 years. And we’ve made significant strides across all other sectors in aviation. As a result, we’ve made flying the safest mode of transportation in the world.

But I haven’t told you anything you don’t already know.

The question is – where do we go next?

Because it’s no longer good enough to say that zero is the only the acceptable number for fatal accidents. 

Going forward, zero has to be the only acceptable number for serious incidents and close calls.

We are at an inflection point right now, with new and different stressors affecting the system.

Air travel is coming back in a big way since the pandemic. But the long layoff, coupled with the increased technical nature of our systems, might have caused some professionals to lose some of that muscle memory. 

On top of that, we’re contending with the loss of experience, as the pandemic forced many seasoned professionals into retirement.

We’re also seeing new and recent entrants like: eVTOLs, 100+ space launches, and various kinds of drones, all of which will continue to make our complex system even more complex to manage.

But how do we make the system safer when we have so few dots to connect? 

Simply put: we need to share more types of data, in greater amounts, at a faster rate than before.

And we have to continue our work to become predictive, not just preventive, when it comes to addressing risk.

The challenge for us is – when we’ve produced the kind of record we have, it’s easy to get comfortable. To get complacent. To think we have a handle on things.

There’s a natural tendency for organizations like ours to get set in our ways. Or to use a statistical metaphor, to “regress to the mean.” 

But the recent series of safety incidents remind us that we don’t have the luxury of complacency. As I noted at the FAA’s Safety Summit two weeks ago – vigilance can never take a day off.                                         

Today, when the safety data gets through all of the gatekeepers, it could be weeks before the system knows about it. By that time, the risk picture could have changed.

As a global aviation community, we have to be able to access the data in real-time. This will give us a more realistic picture of the risk lurking on any given day.

It reminds me of when we transitioned from radar to ADS-B. Radar updates every six seconds. When we see the radar blip on the screen, it tells us the aircraft is somewhere within six seconds of that spot.

ADS-B updates every second. So it’s a more accurate picture of where the aircraft actually is.

It’s the same way here. When we can access safety data in real-time, and access multiple sets of data, we have a more accurate picture of how safe the system actually is. 

In fact, this was one of the key recommendations that came out of the safety summit – sharing safety information in real-time at all levels of the industry.

I know what your concerns are. We have to protect the data, make sure it won’t be used in a punitive way. And we will continue to protect the data.

However, we must set a place at the table for everyone who can help us make the next big leaps in safety risk mitigation. 

Who are the entities that can help us?

We need everyone in the industry engaged, from the C-suite on down. Everyone in our industry has to be all in. 

And with SMS recently expanded to more segments of the industry, we will have access to more data. 

That’s great. But what about the new entrants? Do we have their voices at the table?

Our success in the future will be a function of how well we can anticipate what’s coming next, and be ready to identify and mitigate that risk.

But let’s also keep in mind that the people who can help us the most, may not be in our industry. And may not be in the room today.

At the Summit, an airline safety professional knew of a graduate student who was doing some interesting work in flight safety risk. He used various data to create a model that predicted runway incursions with 85 percent accuracy.

We have to make our data available faster so that experts like these can offer us solutions, while making sure the data is always protected.

We’ve dealt with trust barriers before. When ASIAS started, there were operators who were reluctant to submit data unless other operators were sharing it too. But we overcame that.

An operator needs a list of leading indicators that show how close they came to the edge of an accident on a particular day.

We can do that when we have a model that can predict problems before they become close calls. 

As a hard core Star Trek fan, I just want to call out “Computer” and get the data I want right away. That was one of the first depictions of voice-activated technologies. 

One possible model could be like the LAANC system that provides drone pilots with access to operate in controlled airspace. Pilots can receive their authorization in near-real time.

That’s a thought. But the goal must be to create this kind of model for real-time sharing of safety data, while ensuring its protection.

We’ve become really great at eliminating accidents. Nearly 15 years without a plane crash. Now, let’s develop a data sharing model that makes us really great at preventing serious incidents and close calls.

There’s a book by James Reason, titled The Human Contribution: Unsafe Acts, Accidents and Heroic Recoveries. He made a point that stuck with me. He said he’d love for there to be a time when things are so safe that there is no longer a need for a heroic intervention.

Our goal must be to build an aerospace system that is so resilient, that heroic intervention is almost never necessary.

I’m looking forward to the Safety Call to Action panel coming up shortly, and we’ll discuss more about key themes that came out of the Summit. 

So let’s have a stimulating meeting this week. 

FAA Efforts to Keep Air Travel Safe, Smooth in NYC This Summer

FAA Urges Airlines, Pilots and Others to Take Key Safety Actions

Following the FAA's Safety Summit last week the agency issued a safety alert with specific steps it wants airlines, pilots and others to take.

The FAA is urging the following actions:

• Ensure pilots and flight attendants have the same understanding of what “sterile flight deck” means and the risks associated with extraneous communication during this time. 
• Emphasize importance of awareness of the...

Aeronautical Repair Station Association – Keynote Remarks

Thanks, Sarah [MacLeod], and good morning, everyone.
    
You already know I was a line pilot. I’m rotor rated. I flew for the Army. 
    
And I know what you know – that a lot of the attention in this industry is centered on pilots and what’s happening on the flight deck. No secret here: it’s because pilots are out front and visible.
    
But let me say this: as a pilot, I know that the unsung heroes that keep the aircraft in the air, are the people in this very room. 
    
As a matter of fact, I can say that pilots are only as strong as the maintenance professionals who stand, not behind them, but alongside them. 
    
So let me start by thanking all of you — our aviation maintenance technicians, our repair stations, and our maintenance schools — for everything you do to uphold the strong safety culture we have in aviation, and for making this industry as safe as it can possibly be.
    
As many of you know, I recently issued a safety Call to Action to examine our system’s structure to ensure it fits the needs of today and the future. 

We have the safest aviation system in the world, but we can never take safety for granted or risk complacency. The incidents we’ve seen recently demand we take a closer look—and we must act now.

At yesterday’s Safety Summit, we gathered our community to do just that — to ask the hard questions:  Do we need to do something different? Are we missing something? What do we need to improve?

We’ve done deep dives before. That’s a fact. And we can—and will—do it again because safety is a mission that we can never declare accomplished.  On the contrary, safety is a mission that demands constant attention and constant improvement.   
  
The aviation maintenance industry has a unique perspective on the safety of our system, and we need your insight to better identify and pro-act on risks that may be lurking.
    
We have 72 repair stations that have voluntarily adopted Safety Management System programs to develop organizational best practices for safety risk management. 

To date, 19 of those stations have already been recognized by the FAA as having a fully-functioning SMS — and we are currently considering whether or not SMS will be required for this segment of the industry going forward.
    
We’ve asked the public to weigh in on this question by way of a recently published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking requiring SMS for commuter and on-demand operations, and air tour operators. We look forward to receiving feedback.
    
Our strong safety culture is something that we must pass on to the next generation of professionals in this field. 
    
Simply put, we need to attract new people to the aviation industry.
    
Scheduled flights are coming back to pre-COVID levels. That’s a good thing. But as you are aware, we also have 20,000 fewer AMTs than we did before the pandemic. 
    
And the demand for qualified AMTs is only increasing. We have to rebuild the pipeline.
    
On top of that, the jobs associated with our industry are changing too. As we incorporate new technologies and new concepts into our airspace system — unmanned aircraft, advanced air mobility concepts, commercial space transportation, etc. — we must also take into account that new skills will be required to operate and maintain aircraft of the future.
    
When you have a recruiting challenge as big as we do, we have to cast a broad net for applicants.
    
The FAA has learned a few things about what works. For one, we have to reach kids at early ages and inspire them in ways that will make them consider our industry as an option.  If we don’t generate early excitement, we’ll lose this generation to other industries.
    
My colleague Sean Torpey will discuss more about how we’re reaching kids early at the Young at Heart panel later this afternoon, and he’ll also discuss ways that we can all collaborate in this area.

Just as important at getting students’ attention is keeping them interested in high school and beyond — and I’m glad to report that we are doing our part at the FAA. 

We recently awarded $5 million in aviation maintenance technical worker workforce grants – that’s a mouthful! – to 11 organizations. These grants build on the $5 million we awarded previously, and will fund programs that generate interest and prepare students to pursue careers in aviation maintenance, and are one of the ways that the FAA is building its own pipeline of maintenance professionals.
    
Some of the programs these grants support focus on outreach to high school students from underrepresented communities. Others help military members and veterans transition into AMT careers. They all help attract future technicians to our industry — and that is good news.
    
We have also learned from experience that any program we develop is only as successful as our ability to attract attention to it. We need to be creative in order to reach this tech-savvy future AMT workforce that grew up online.  We need to seek them out in digital spaces such as social media and gaming platforms. 
    
We can learn from the success of the FAA’s recent air traffic controller hiring campaign. The “Level Up” campaign got the word out by having controllers share their stories during Instagram Live conversations, on Twitter, and on other interactive digital platforms.  

We actively sought out gamers who were likely to have some of the same skills required of controllers.  And we worked hard to attract applications from women, minorities, and individuals from underrepresented communities.  

These efforts resulted in 58,000 applicants, more than five times the number we expected, and from a much more diverse applicant pool. 
    
We want to see the same thing happen for AMTs, and we are eager to partner with you in creative ways to make it happen.
    
And we are looking for ways the FAA’s reauthorization can help us cast our net wider and in new directions to recruit the future workforce.
    
As the next generation comes in, their first experience of our safety culture will be during their training. I know this well, having been a training captain myself.
    
We have to continue to innovate training methods, so that we’re meeting industry standards, and engaging the highly-digitally-literate next generation workforce.   
    
This past September, an FAA interim rule went into effect requiring AMT schools to modernize training to meet the industry’s evolving needs. This rule provides flexibility to technical schools to develop and update their training content and course delivery options. 
    
And schools can increase access by providing training at additional locations, even outside of the United States. We’re getting positive feedback from you on the new rule.
  
We are also looking for ways the FAA and industry can collaborate on joint training. This will require we work together to define common performance outcomes and assessments — but from my personal experience, I know there is great benefit to opportunities that help the FAA and industry better understand each other’s perspectives. 
    
Again, I thank ARSA and everyone across the repair station community. Let’s continue to work together to strengthen training, improve workforce recruitment, and most importantly, to strengthen the safety culture.
    
As we do that, we’ll look back with pride on having made aviation better, and safer, for decades to come.
 

Readout from the FAA Aviation Safety Summit Breakout Panels

Opening Remarks - Aviation Surface Safety Summit

Thank you, Secretary Buttigieg, for your interest and leadership.

And thanks to all of you all for being here. I am pleased to see so many familiar faces in the audience and to know that you are taking the time to join us for this safety summit.

When I called this gathering a few weeks ago, it was because we had seen an uptick in incidents across the aviation system. In the intervening time, we’ve experienced additional incidents, including events on runways, terminal area ramps  — and even unruly passenger incidents that continue to defy logic.

I think I speak for all of us, and certainly the traveling public, when I say these events are concerning. They are not what we have come to expect during a time of unprecedented safety in the U.S. air transportation system.

The question is, what do they mean?

Many years ago, while I was still learning to fly, my instructor taught me a very important lesson: Listen to the airplane. Pay attention to what it is trying to tell you.

It’s a lesson that served me well throughout my career, and it’s one that applies here. As a safety community, we must pay attention to the events of recent months. What is the system trying to tell us?

I am honored to be joined today in this plenary session by former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt. Mr. Sumwalt will help facilitate a conversation among our panelists that I hope will help us frame our thinking. 

This plenary session will be followed by some specific breakout sessions designed to allow our various stakeholders to dive deeper into specific areas and have frank, open discussions.

One of the hallmarks of aviation and the people who pursue a life in this industry is a willingness to question conventional wisdom. And to always be looking for ways to advance safety.

As I mentioned in my call to action, the biggest mistake we can make as an industry is to become complacent. As a safety professional, if you are comfortable it means you’re probably missing something.

It’s in that light that my colleagues at the FAA and I have brought you together today. There is no question that aviation is amazingly safe. But vigilance can never take the day off.

We must ask ourselves difficult and sometimes uncomfortable questions, even when we are confident that the system is sound.

For example, we all recognize the desire to make the maximum use of available airspace and runway capacity to keep the aviation system running smoothly and on time.

In light of the recent close calls and the attention being focused on even routine go-arounds — are we emphasizing efficiency over safety? How much of what we are seeing can be attributed to the sudden resurgence in demand following the pandemic?  

Since 1997, the aviation industry has made enormous strides in improving safety under the guidance of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, or CAST. As you know, the data-sharing and voluntary safety reporting programs under the CAST umbrella enabled us to reduce the risk of a fatal accident by 95 percent.

Instead of reacting to accidents and incidents after the fact, we are getting better at scouring flight data for precursors that allow us to identify a nascent event before it manifests itself as something more serious.

That’s an amazing accomplishment — and I believe that historians will look at the strides we have made under CAST as one of the great successes of the modern transportation age.

But we also must ask ourselves if the CAST process is nimble enough to help us reach the goal of eliminating the rare — but still concerning — incidents we’ve seen recently.

I want to say before we get started with our plenary panel that I appreciate the messages of support and pledges of cooperation that I have gotten personally from many of you in this room.

America’s aviation safety net is strong. Our goal — our obligation — is to sew those threads even tighter.

I want to encourage you to come into these sessions with an open mind. As I mentioned in the call-to-action, I want to hear from our stakeholders about concrete actions that we can take in the near- and medium term to make the world’s safest transportation system even safer.

Before we get started, I want take a moment to acknowledge that current Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy has joined us today. As we all know, the NTSB is taking its own, independent, look into many of these same issues and we are appreciative of the work they do.

I would like to ask Chair Homendy to the podium to share a few thoughts.
 

Statement Of Billy Nolen, Acting FAA Administrator, Hearing Before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation: Implementation & Oversight of the Aircraft, Certification, Safety, & Accountability Act

Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to be with you today to discuss how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is strengthening our certification and safety oversight processes and our implementation of the bipartisan Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (“Act”). Before we discuss certification reform implementation, on behalf of everyone at the United States Department of Transportation and the FAA, I want to recognize the families of the victims of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents and thank them for their continued advocacy for aviation safety. 

The FAA understands and embraces the importance of continuously raising the bar on aviation safety, not only in the U.S., but around the world. During the past two years, we have made significant progress meeting the requirements of the law to improve and refine our certification and safety oversight processes. Using a comprehensive approach to implementing the provisions from the recent certification reform legislation and the various recommendations received from investigations and independent reviews¹, we have rededicated our processes to treat aircraft as complex systems, with full consideration of how all the elements in the operating system interact. We are integrating human factors considerations more effectively throughout all aspects of the design and certification process. We are improving the agency’s oversight process by ensuring coordinated and flexible flow of data and information. And finally, we are recruiting a workforce that can meet the demands of the future—by hiring new talent who understand the safety implications of new and innovative technologies, as required by the Act. We will continue to prioritize this important work as we carry out our responsibilities for public safety. It is more important than ever that we maintain our safety record while making improvements that will help sustain our progress. The discussion below provides an overview of some of our accomplishments to date. 

• Safety Management Systems (SMS). SMS is a systematic and comprehensive way to identify, monitor, and address potential operational hazards early on, to prevent serious problems from occurring. U.S. airlines have been required to have SMS since 2018. Expanding SMS to other players in the aviation industry is critical for achieving the next level of safety. As required by the Act, we recently published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which proposes SMS requirements for certain design and manufacturing organizations. Recognizing the importance and value of SMS, we included Part 135 operators and air tour operators conducting operations under Part 91 in NPRM as well.² As rulemaking is underway, we continue to promote participation in voluntary SMS programs. These participants submit elements of SMS to the FAA for acceptance; and commit to regular oversight of their SMS by the FAA. As of today, we have accepted more than 60 SMSs for Part 135 operators, Part 91 air tour operators, and Part 145 repair stations; and accepted five SMSs for design and manufacturing organizations, with many more working towards acceptance. The FAA is using the lessons learned from these voluntary programs to inform FAA’s SMS rulemaking and policy development. 
   
• System Safety and Human Factors. In accordance with the Act, we incorporated system safety assessments and validation of human factors assumptions into the FAA’s aviation safety policy and oversight, including the design and certification process. We recently published an NPRM that proposes new requirements on how to conduct system safety assessments for transport category airplanes.³ We are also working on several initiatives to increase the incorporation of human factors to improve the way systems account for the broad range of pilot capabilities around the world. For example, pursuant to the Act, the FAA completed a preliminary review of human factors rules, guidance, and pilot response assumptions to identify and prioritize changes to better incorporate system safety analyses and human factors assumptions into the FAA’s aviation safety policy and oversight. Finally, the FAA launched a call to action to review revisions made to pilot certification standards. The group provided recommendations on how to improve manual flying skills and automation management, and the FAA is in the process of implementing these recommendations.
   
• Global Collaboration. Global collaboration is crucial to maintaining U.S. leadership in aviation safety. The FAA continues to participate in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Personnel Training and Licensing Panel Automation Working Group, which is assessing the pilot dependency on automation globally. The FAA is also leading an international authority working group to evaluate the Act’s requirements regarding amended type certificates. This working group recently recommended process improvements based on more than a decade of harmonized application of changed product rules. We are working to implement these recommendations. The Act requires the FAA to ensure that pilot operational evaluations for transport category airplanes include foreign and domestic pilots of varying levels of experience. In response, the FAA issued a notice in 2021, to update the policy to include pilots in Flight Standards Board operational evaluations.
   
• Data. As the aviation system evolves, the FAA is constantly considering options to improve data accessibility and foster collaboration in order to share data on identified risks throughout the government and with the public. FAA continues to expand the agency’s capability to collect, consolidate, analyze, and share safety data within the FAA and with aviation and transportation stakeholders and international partners. Data enhances the FAA’s ability to identify and respond to potential safety issues and to better identify safety trends in aviation. It is key in our efforts to move to a predictive system, not just preventative. The FAA continues to improve the Aviation Safety Information and Sharing (ASIAS) database, including incorporating rotorcraft data and voice data from air traffic control to support safety analyses. Pursuant to the Act, we have worked with the Transportation Research Board to identify, categorize, and analyze emerging safety trends in aviation and completed the first required report in August 2022. We have also partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to establish the framework for real-time data monitoring.
   
• Integration of Certification and Oversight Functions. The Act requires the FAA to form an interdisciplinary project team for any type certificate project for transport category airplane. The FAA’s Integrated Program Management team includes subject matter experts from Flight Standards and the Aircraft Certification Service who make recommendations to improve oversight during aircraft certification and operational evaluations. As the team finalizes recommendations, they are already integrating best practices into certification projects and ensuring proper integration on those projects. In February 2022, the FAA expanded the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) process for all new and amended type certification projects for transport category airplanes, and applied this new approach to the Boeing 777X certification program. We also established the FAA Compliance Program Executive Council to monitor the operation and effectiveness of the Compliance Program, and I received the second report earlier this year. 
   
• Culture of Safety and Excellence. The safety culture at the FAA is one that promotes continuous improvement of safety systems and outcomes, while providing support for employees and industry stakeholders to self-disclose safety issues and noncompliance. These efforts include promoting the voluntary safety reporting program (VSRP) among other efforts, and recruiting talented staff. VSRP empowers all Aviation Safety (AVS) employees to confidentially report safety concerns without fear of reprisal or other repercussions.⁴ We recently completed the first AVS safety culture assessment, which included surveys of AVS employee’s opinions about safety culture and the implementation of VSRP. The FAA is reviewing the results to determine what actions may be needed in response to the data. We have also hired specialized staff within the AVS organization and provided training to increase competencies on human factors. FAA will continue to evaluate the safety culture and implement measures to improve collaboration between employees and management to identify and address safety concerns. 
   
• Delegation. The Act requires the FAA to make extensive and meaningful changes to the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program. As required by law, we now require FAA approval of individual ODA unit members for certain ODA types, and established a policy to prevent interference with ODA unit members. The ODA expert panel was established in December 2022, and we held the kickoff meeting for the expert panel earlier this month. Finally, the ODA Office within AVS now has approximately 50 employees and is tasked with overseeing the ODA system across all of AVS. 
   
• Certification and Continued Operational Safety Processes. Ensuring the safety of aviation products through certification is an important function of the FAA, and we are enhancing the type certification process. This includes revising guidance and criteria used for determining significant changes to best ensure that proposed changes to an aircraft are evaluated from a whole aircraft-level perspective, including human interface elements. Pursuant to the Act’s requirements, we recently published an order that outlines the aircraft certification service issue resolution and appeals processes.⁵
   
• Innovation. Aviation is incredibly dynamic, and it is imperative for the FAA to accelerate and enable the deployment of new technologies to reduce barriers and promote innovation that enhances the safety and efficiency of air transportation. Through our Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation we have expanded efforts to support certification of new aircraft and technologies, including structured pre-application engagement with companies to identify a clear path to compliance.

Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, I want to assure you, and each member of the Commerce Committee, that the FAA is fully committed to the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act. As we continue this work, we will maintain a posture of transparency and accountability, including providing regular briefings with the Committee and stakeholders across the industry.

¹Including investigations conducted by Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General, National Transportation Safety Board, etc. and independent reviews conducted by the Joint Authorities Technical Review, DOT Special Committee, congressional committees, etc.

²RIN 2120-AL60, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Safety Management Systems published on January 11, 2023. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/11/2022-28583/safety-management-systems. FAA is seeking public comment on the NPRM until March 13, 2023.

³RIN 2120-AJ99, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for System Safety Assessments for transport category airplanes published on December 8, 2022. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/08/2022-26369/system-safety-assessments

⁴Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Voluntary Safety Reporting Program, Order 8000.375, February 02, 2021, at http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/VS_8000.375.pdf.

⁵Federal Aviation Administration, Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) Issue Resolution and Appeal Processes, Order 8100.20, January 1, 2023, at https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/Order_8100.20.pdf
 

FAA Proposes New Policy that Would Fulfill One of the Key Requirements of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act

Women’s History Month Kickoff (opening remarks)

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Hi everyone, and thank you for asking me to join you today for the FAA’s kickoff to Women’s History Month. Organizations like yours are making a real difference as we work to bring more women into aviation and to the FAA. 

And while we need to keep pushing to diversify our workforce, there are already innovative and strong women at every level at our agency. However, we need more. I can tell you first hand that this agency highly values your ideas, contributions and innovations. That is especially true for me. The women I work with here at the FAA are the most likely to challenge preconceived notions and reject group think. As a safety organization, challenging conventional wisdom is so important. It’s how we grow, improve, and become stronger and safer. 

As you may already know, the 2023 theme for National Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” When people tell stories about famous women in aviation, of course we think of Amelia Earhart and Anne Morrow Lindberg—two of our nation’s most famous aviators. And by the way, speaking of telling stories, they didn’t just fly, but wrote about flying, too.

But we have famous women aviators to celebrate today. Zara Rutherford, at age 19, recently became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. And what about Tammie Jo Shults? She was one of the first female F/A-18 Hornet pilots in the US Navy — who, in 2018 when she’d become a commercial pilot, saved 148 passengers and crew members when she safely landed a Boeing 737 after a high-altitude engine blade failure.  She deserves the Sully treatment!

These are great stories about standouts in female aviation, and all of us owe them a debt of gratitude. 

As we all know, women play critical roles throughout the FAA…and many are involved in organizations like PWC—Professional Women Controllers, Inc.; the TWO, or Technical Women’s Organization; and the Federal Women’s Program.  The organizations are breaking down barriers to the hiring and advancement of women as well as enhancing employment opportunities for women in every area of federal service. Gioia Albi is our Federal Women’s Program Manager, and I thank her for the important work she does.  

And back to PWC, Inc. – what a crucial role this organization has --encouraging women to enter the air traffic control profession; to build a diverse workforce; and to be a resource that provides support, training, and encouragement. In particular, I want to highlight their National Mentor Program, which provides an excellent opportunity for any FAA employee—at any grade, location, and point in their career—to receive mentoring that strengthens their professional skills and abilities. And, of course, the program needs mentors who can pass these skills on too. Opportunities like this are vital if we’re going to make aviation an option for everyone who’s interested…and if we’re going to meet future aviation workforce needs.  

Aviation needs the talents and perspective of women. Earhart and Lindberg helped get that conversation started, and the women of the FAA and the aviation industry are helping it to continue. I look forward to hearing from the next generation of female aviators. Most especially, I look forward to the way that hearing their stories will inspire others for generations to come. 

Thank you.

Schools Nationwide Receive $10 Million in FAA Grants to Develop the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals

WASHINGTON— Twenty-three schools will receive $10 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help attract and train students for careers as pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. 
 
Twelve of the schools will receive $5 million from the FAA’s Aircraft Pilots Aviation Workforce Development Grants program. The schools can use the funding to create and...