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The New FAA Administrator


John Dunkin has had a professional and personal relationship with President Donald Trump since 1989 when Trump started his own airline that eventually folded in 1992. Dunkin currently fly’s President Trumps Boeing 757. New York Post stated that Dunkin has managed airline and corporate flight departments, certified airlines from start-up under FAA regulations, and oversaw Trumps Presidential fleet, traveling to 203 cities in 43 states over the course of 21 months during the campaign. According to The Washington Post, Dunkin does everything in the aviation side for the President from charting international flight plans and guiding the plane from stop to stop, oversees the delivery of new engine and various aircraft parts, all the way to overseeing interior livery replacements as well as cleaning the inside of the aircraft (The Washington Post, 2018). Trump believes Dunkin will turn the FAA around for the better, claiming that they need a pilot who is a real ‘expert’.

Some other FAA administrator on the shortlist is Dan Elwell who is serving as Acting Administrator and was the Deputy Administrator of the FAA. Prior to FAA responsibilities, Elwell was a commercial pilot for 16 years with American Airlines, and also serving as Managing Director for international and Government Affairs at American Airlines. He also served in the U.S. Air Force. Another individual is Bobby Sturgell, senior vice president of Washington Operations for Rockwell Collins. He has also served as Acting Administrator of the FAA. His flying career started when he was in the U.S. Naval Academy, eventually flying 757 and 767s for United Airlines where he was a flight operations supervisor (FAA, 2018).

The first FAA Administrator was Elwood R. “Pete” Quesada. Quesada joined the Army in 1924 a member of the flight crew of the Army C-2 Question Mark. In 1929 Quesada and his commander broke the world endurance marks by remaining in the air for more than 150 hours. After his service, he held various positions in the military earning various medals. Our first female FAA Administrator was Jane F. Garvey. Garvey earned her B.A. and M.A. Soon after she became the commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, later serving as the director of Boston’s Logan International Airport. In 1993 she joined the FAA and in 1997 she became the first Administrator to serve a 5-year term.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find an exact definition of what exactly the FAA Administrators role is. Obviously, they are serving as the face of the FAA, and everything that happens will end up coming back to the Administrator the good and the bad. Now that technology is a lot different than it was and the overall demand for aviation is at an all-time height and will continue to grow, so the task of administrating it all will be very tough, and needs to be ran by a perusing individual.  Not only for my career, but whoever becomes the new administrator will have a huge impact on the future and direction of the aviation industry. Currently, I do not have a select individual on who I think should be the administrator. If Dunkin ends up becoming the new FAA Administrator, President Donald Trump could play a big role in Dinkins decisions and how things are implemented. I’m excited to see the future direction of the FAA and who becomes the new administrator.

Citation:

Steinbuch, Y. (2018, February 26). Trump's personal pilot on short list to lead FAA. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://nypost.com/2018/02/26/trumps-personal-pilot-on-short-list-to-lead-faa/

Laris, M., & III, A. H. (2018, February 27). As Trump puts personal pilot on shortlist to head FAA, agency faces biggest challenges in decades. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/as-trump-puts-longtime-personal-pilot-on-shortlist-to-head-faa-agency-faces-biggest-challenges-in-decades/2018/02/27/c1ac0102-1b4d-11e8-b2d9-08e748f892c0_story.html?utm_term=.ee9b993e8644

Daniel K. Elwell. (2018, January 10). Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https:/www.faa.gov/about/key_officials/elwell/

(n.d.). Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.rockwellcollins.com/Our_Company/Leadership/Bobby_Sturgell.aspx

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