Fri, Jun 09, 2023
Billy Nolen Moving on to Greener Pastures
Washington, D.C. gossip has swirled as of late, with reports that acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen will be replaced by Deputy US Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg -- but again, in an acting capacity..
Nolen reportedly told staff he would be leaving the administration partway through June, with gossip pointing to a position with AAM company Archer Aviation. In Spring, Nolen had acknowledged his plans to move on from the agency when the White House nominated a new administrator, but capitol intrigue has continued to postpone the installation of a permanent chief. For a time, it seemed that Denver Airport CEO Phil Washington would be the man for the job, only for him to withdraw his nomination after a flurry of criticism over his somewhat lackluster aviation experience (Los Angeles contracting investigation aside, Washington spent the majority of his career overseeing rail and ground transit, only entering the aeronautical scene with his Denver job in 2021).
Nolen’s plans to stick his post-FAA landing seem to have been set into motion regardless, though the company has not yet confirmed his hiring. Archer Aviation’s recent strides in bringing their Midnight closer to certification have made it one of the more promising options in the EVTOL scene.
Deputy secretary Trottenberg served as transportation commissioner of New York City from 2014 to 2020, where she focused on bringing pedestrian fatalities down. She served the better part of a 10-year term on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from 2014 until resigning in 2019. In 2020, Trottenberg was named a member of the Biden transition team inside the Department of Transportation, where she began working under DoT chief Steve Buttigieg.
More News
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
"We are reaching out to you today on behalf of the Popular Rotorcraft Association because we need your help. We are dangerously close to losing a critical resource that if lost, wi>[...]
UAS Traffic Management (UTM) The unmanned aircraft traffic management ecosystem that will allow multiple low altitude BVLOS operations and which is separate from, but complementary>[...]
Aero Linx: Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) SAFE is a member-oriented organization of aviation educators fostering professionalism and excellence in aviation through>[...]