FAA Names Two New Top UAS Executives
 Gibson. |
 Lawrence. |
Today, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it has named Marke “Hoot” Gibson and Earl Lawrence to two new executive-level positions it has created to help guide the agency’s unmanned aircraft systems airspace integration effort.
Gibson will become the senior advisor on UAS integration, a position which will focus on external outreach and education, interagency initiatives and will take an enterprise-level approach to managing UAS integration by the FAA. According to a press release by the FAA, Gibson will report directly to Michael Whitaker, the deputy administrator of the FAA.
Lawrence has been named the director of the UAS integration office, a position similar to the one vacated by Jim Williams, who served as manager of that office. The position will lead the agency’s efforts to manage UAS integration into the national airspace.
The two positions were created in place of the one post held by Williams until his retirement from the FAA earlier this year. Both positions will be active later this month, according to a statement by the FAA.
Prior to his appointment, Gibson was the executive director of the NextGen Institute, the FAA’s new airspace management concept. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 33 years.
“It is our hope that increasing resources and staff focused on UAS will allow the FAA to quickly finalize its anticipated rules on small UAS,” said AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne in a statement, which can be read in full here. “AUVSI and its members look forward to working with Mr. Gibson and Mr. Lawrence so that these and future rulemakings safely integrate UAS into the U.S. airspace.”
Lawrence spent five years as the director of the FAA’s Small Airplane Directorate, which served as the point of contact for 17 aircraft certification and manufacturing district offices in 21 states. He also previously served as the vice president for industry and regulatory affairs at the Experimental Aircraft Association.
