Q&A with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta

 

Huerta Acknowledges Pilot Contributions

“Thank you for what you do each and every day to ensure that this system is safe,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, addressing ALPA’s Executive Board. Huerta talked about the importance of building a proactive safety culture, using nondisciplinary self-disclosure programs like ASAP, FOQA, and others. “Sometimes the best operators make mistakes,” he said. “What we don’t want is operators to not share their story for fear of being punished.”

Huerta also talked about the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace system. “More than 450,000 UAS users have registered,” he noted, adding that the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee is aiding the process. Proposed measures already include several ALPA initiatives outlining education and steps manufacturers can take, such as geo-fencing.