ARSA Remembers – John Hickey
May 03, 2022
John Hickey, former FAA deputy associate administrator for aviation safety, died after a long battle with cancer on April 19.
Hickey’s FAA career spanned three decades. After graduating from Boston University in 1980 and spending 10 years in private industry, he became a flight test engineer in the Transport Airplane Directorate, where he served in an ascending series of roles culminating as manager. He was then director of the Aircraft Certification Service from 2000 until he was selected by Peggy Gilligan in 2009 to serve as her deputy.
“Like many of the people I end up admiring, John and I started our relationship on a rocky note,” ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod remembers. “He and I both were easy to rile and blunt; a combination that resulted in heated exchanges. As we became more familiar with each other and understood that we both held a strong passion for aviation and aviation safety, we become allies. His stamp on the industry will be felt for years.”
ARSA’s colleagues at JDA Aviation have posted a thorough review of Hickey’s career accomplishments, which can be reviewed at jdasolutions.aero/blog/requiem-in-pacem-john-hickey.
ARSA is seeking information about remembrance opportunities for Hickey and will keep its membership posted. Any readers who would like to share memories or personal experiences should contact the association.
The family has requested that donations be made in John’s honor to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Click here to make a memorial gift.
More from ARSA
ARSA Survey – Workforce Remains Top Concern
May 17, 2022 | Categories:
ARSA News & Updates, ARSA Works
ARSA’s 2022 member survey paints a picture of an industry slowly recovering from the pandemic but still suffering a severe labor shortage. In total, 108 member companies from around the…Read More
Hotline Highlight – Collaboration Brings Results
May 10, 2022 | Categories:
ARSA News & Updates
The hotline – ARSA’s premier member newsletter – contains news, editorial content, analysis and resources for the aviation maintenance community. All members should ensure they receive their edition the first week of…Read More
FAA Issues WebOPSS Access Workaround
May 09, 2022 | Categories:
Act Now, ARSA News & Updates, ARSA Works, Design & Production, FAA, Regulatory, Rulemaking
The FAA will miss the June 15 deadline for updating its WebOPSS system to operate in the Microsoft Edge browser. Microsoft will decommission Internet Explorer, which was required for accessing…Read More
