Meet the FAA Administrator

July 25, 2018 - Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell will discuss current aviation topics and policies affecting general aviation with EAA members and other AirVenture attendees at Theater in the Woods on Thursday, July 26, 2018, at 11:30 a.m.

EAA is currently working with the FAA on a number of GA initiatives, including the testing of unleaded fuels through the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative, participating in the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, which EAA co-chairs, and lowering GA and experimental amateur-built accident rates.

EAA and FAA prototyped a single-waiver authorization for aviation events for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018, with EAA working to see the single waiver become a national policy for future aviation events.

In addition, on June 27, 2018, the FAA released a sweeping rule change that addressed many barriers to affordability in flight training, including a fix to the sport pilot regulations that resolves a nearly decade-long dispute over credit for dual time logged with a sport pilot CFI (CFI-S), alternatives to complex aircraft in obtaining the commercial pilot certificate, more credit for simulator time, and other valuable changes.

The FAA’s ADS-B mandate is also now 18 months out from its January 2020 equipage deadline.

This will be Elwell’s first time attending AirVenture in the role of acting administrator, after Michael Huerta retired from the administrator position last year.

Elwell previously served in the role of deputy administrator beginning in June 2017 and as assistant administrator for policy, planning, and environment from 2006-2008.

He has had a long career in aviation, including flying for American Airlines for 16 years and serving in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserve, with combat service during Operation Desert Storm.