FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey, has
appointed Frederick E. Tilton, M.D., M.P.H. as the new
Federal Air Surgeon. Dr. Tilton has served as Deputy Federal Air
Surgeon for the past six years and replaces Jon L. Jordan, M.D.,
J.D. (a class act and a difficult person to replace--E-I-C) who
retired last month.
As the FAA’s Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Tilton oversees the
Office of Aerospace Medicine’s workforce of more than 400
physicians, research scientists, nurses, program analysts, and
legal instrument examiners, including the prestigious Civil
Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). He also oversees more than
5,000 private physicians who administer FAA medical exams as
designated medical examiners. His primary areas of responsibility
include the medical certification of airmen, inspection of industry
drug and alcohol testing programs, medical clearance of air traffic
control specialists, drug and alcohol testing of FAA employees,
aerospace medical and human factors research, and aerospace medical
education.
“Fred’s high-caliber leadership experience and
expertise in the aviation and medical fields make him ideally
suited to be our nation’s Federal Air Surgeon,” said
Blakey.
Prior to joining the FAA in 1999, Dr. Tilton was the corporate
medical director for The Boeing Company in Seattle. Under his
leadership, his department received the American College of
Occupational Medicine’s prestigious Corporate Health
Achievement Award as one of the best industrial medicine programs
in the nation. From 1988 to 1991, Dr. Tilton was the regional
medical director at Boeing’s Wichita, Kan. facility.
During a 26-year career with the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Tilton
logged 4,000 hours as a command pilot flying trainers, transports,
reconnaissance aircraft, and fighters. He flew a wide variety of
aircraft, including the F-15, T-38, RB-57F, C-141 and the B-47. He
spent 11 years in the medical corps where he commanded a clinic,
was an F-15 physician-pilot and technical consultant, and held key
positions such as Chief of Flight Medicine in the Surgeon
General’s Office. He retired from the Air Force in 1988 with
the rank of colonel.
A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Dr. Tilton received
both an M.S. and a M.D. degree from the University of New Mexico
and an M.P.H. from the University of Texas.
He is board-certified by the American Board of Preventive
Medicine in both Aerospace and Occupational Medicine. He is a
Fellow of Aerospace Medical Association and the American College of
Preventive Medicine.