Jobs in Aviation Series: FAA Administrator Michael Huerta

While FAA administrator Michael Huerta certainly had a full plate at EAA AirVenture 2017 in Oshkosh, he was more than willing to take a moment to discuss the future of aviation for our Jobs in Aviation series. The FAA employs approximately 47,000 people, including engineers and technicians, but like other companies, the FAA is also currently looking for people who can analyze data.

“We have adopted a new approach to regulation, we call it risk-based decision-making,” Huerta told Rod McDermott of McDermott & Bull. “That’s a very different skillset we haven’t had in the FAA for a long time. It is critical for us to do our job in the future.”

When it comes to starting fresh with the FAA, Huerta said the administration is “absolutely” a place for second careers. Specifically, he told the story of a man who came from the private sector because he believed that what the FAA is doing in IT is truly exciting. He served as the FAA’s director of software and is now the chief data officer.

Watch the video above for more on Huerta’s insight into new careers in aviation, as well as the FAA’s top initiatives for the remainder of the year and beyond.