FAA Officials Wowed during First Visits to AirVenture

August 10, 2017 - There were a number of new faces from all levels of the FAA at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 to meet with EAA’s government advocacy team. While FAA Administrator Michael Huerta made his usual, and this year final, official visit, he was accompanied by a number of senior staffers, directors, and managers that were at AirVenture on their first official visit. The FAA’s new deputy administrator was also an addition to the agency’s visiting contingent, accompanied by senior FAA and DOT policy staff.

During the convention, EAA’s government advocacy team holds a number of policy meetings behind the scenes with FAA staff to discuss everything from regulatory reform for legacy aircraft to pathways for exciting new technologies. Sean Elliott, EAA vice president of advocacy and safety, said sharing the magic of Oshkosh with these regulators enables EAA to develop a stronger relationship with the FAA to better serve the general aviation community.

“One of the powerful elements of AirVenture is it gives [the FAA] a clear and strong message as to why GA is vibrant and why it’s an important part of the overall aviation picture in the United States,” Sean said. “The atmosphere at AirVenture is infectious. It’s a refresher from the daily grind in Washington, D.C., and it invigorates and reminds them why they do the hard work that they do.”

The FAA officials said they were impressed and excited by what they saw at AirVenture, and EAA looks forward to welcoming them back to Oshkosh in 2018.