Trumps private flyger ny sjef for FAA? - AVweb

Trump Pushing Personal Pilot To Head FAA?   RUSS NILES     News site Axios is reporting that President Donald Trump is promoting his long-time personal pilot as the next administrator of the FAA. Quoting unnamed administration sources, Axios, a relatively new news service made up mainly of ex-newspaper staff, said John Dunkin, who flew Trump’s personal Boeing 757 during the 21-month campaign, has been interviewed and impressed those doing the selection. He’s said to be up against GA caucus chairman Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri) and current Acting Administrator Dan Elwell. Trump has referenced Dunkin’s opinions on aviation matters in the campaign and after the election, particularly in regard to the function of the National Airspace System. He’s also being promoted by administration officials who cite his management experience. Among the issues the next administrator will likely tackle is the possibility of turning over the air traffic control system to a not-for-profit corporation run by a board of directors appointed from various sectors of the industry. Trump is a proponent of the idea so it follows that his appointee for the FAA job would share that view. Trump has quoted his pilot as being dissatisfied with the current system. Graves, the chairman of the House General Aviation Caucus, outraged many GA groups last year when he threw his support behind a bill that would hive off ATC to a private entity. Some critics speculated at the time that Graves was then being considered as the next chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Elwell is a former employee of Airlines 4 America, which represents airline interests in Washington and is a driving force behind the ATC initiative.