FAA History Lesson -- March 12 (09)

One of my readers came up to me at Communicating for Safety and made a simple and salient point. There have been a lot of controllers hired since I last ran my “FAA History Lessons” on a regular basis. There’s not much point in arguing with someone that is right.

Today’s lesson isn’t earth-shattering. It just provides at least one clue to one of today’s burning questions: When are we going to get a new Administrator ? (It took 6 months to find a new one in the middle of Bush Sr.’s term.) As always, there are other lessons to be learned. But that is up to the reader.

In addition, let me take the opportunity to thank all the folks that took the time to introduce themselves and say a nice word about my blog -- Get the Flick. I am most appreciative. And flattered. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy lives to read my ramblings.

Now, without further ado...


From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...


”Mar 12, 1990: Barry L. Harris became FAA's Deputy Administrator, succeeding Barbara McConnell Barrett (see Apr 1, 1988). President Bush had announced the nomination on Nov 6, 1989. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Harris attended Harvard and Denison Universities and served as an officer in the U.S. Army. His career included positions as assistant city manager for Gloucester, Mass., director of community programs for the Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and work as a writer and producer for the news media. Prior to joining FAA, he was president and chief executive of Alliance Corp., in Portland, Maine, and Community Services, Inc., in Gloucester. Harris had been cochairman of the Bush campaign's state finance committee in Maine, and had served on the campaign's national finance committee. He was an experienced pilot, qualified to fly helicopters as well as piston- and jet-powered fixed wing aircraft.

Harris served as Acting Administrator during the period between the tenures of Administrators Busey and Richards (see Dec 4, 1991, and Jun 27, 1992). He remained as Deputy for the rest of the Bush Administration, resigning effective Jan 20, 1993.“

Don Brown
March 12, 2009