In this special Green Room episode of This Week in Drones, this week’s host, Joshua Lewin sits down with longtime FAA executive Jeff Planty, tracing his remarkable rise through the ranks of U.S. aviation infrastructure – from radar maintenance in the Air Force to Vice President of Safety and Technical Training at the FAA.
Before joining the live panel on airspace modernization, Planty gave C-UAS Hub an exclusive interview detailing the career path that led him to some of the FAA’s most pivotal leadership roles.
Planty walks through:
- Growing up in a military aviation family and joining the Air Force with his twin brother.
- Early radar installation work and building ties with FAA technical staff.
- His transition from the military to civil aviation and his entry into the FAA.
- Climbing through FAA field roles, district leadership and ultimately national technical operations.
- His final post as FAA Vice President of Safety and Technical Training, overseeing safety and training across the NAS.
