On behalf of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), President and CEO Brian Wynne issued the following statement after the announcement of Stephen Dickson that he intends to step down as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): 

AUVSI thanks Administrator Dickson for his service, leadership, and dedication to aviation safety. As he stated in his departure letter, “The agency is in a better place than it was two years ago, and we are positioned for great success,” and I couldn’t agree more. As a member of the FAA’s Management Advisory Council (MAC), I had the opportunity firsthand to watch the serious nature of Administrator Dickson’s attention to detail and focus on safety. 

The drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industries represented by AUVSI benefitted from Administrator Dickson’s leadership in advancing steps toward the safe integration of drones in the national airspace and movement towards enabling AAM operations in the future with new, advanced technologies like Vertical Takeoff and Lift (VTOL). Administrator Dickson led the finalization and implementation of the Remote ID and Operations Over People rules and launched the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). 

AUVSI is grateful for the Administrator’s desire to collaborate closely with industry and other stakeholders. From the FAA Drone Symposium, which AUVSI is proud to host, to AUVSI’s own XPONENTIAL conference and trade show, Administrator Dickson regularly engaged with the drone and AAM industries to provide updates on shared priorities and share insights from his unique position atop the FAA. 

I am grateful for his years of solidarity, congratulate him on his successful tenure, and wish him best in his future endeavors. In nominating a new FAA Administrator, I urge Executive Branch leadership to prioritize the continuation of positive trends put in place by Administrator Dickson that support consensus-building, safety, and U.S. leadership in innovation. 

This press release was prepared and distributed by Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.