AIN is pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 Top Flight Awards Safety Hero category: Robert Sumwalt
Robert Sumwalt is a distinguished fellow in aviation safety and executive director of the new Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety. He oversees the new center, which tackles a range of safety issues surrounding new technologies. Prior to joining Embry-Riddle, Sumwalt spent 15 years on the National Transportation Safety Board. He joined the NTSB in 2006 and was appointed chairman in 2017. A pilot for 32 years, he flew 24 years with Piedmont Airlines and U.S. Airways and amassed more than 14,000 flight hours and earned type ratings in five aircraft. Sumwalt also managed the corporate aviation department of a Fortune 500 energy company. During his NTSB tenure, Sumwalt advocated the adoption of proven and effective airline safety standards and programs for Part 135 and other general aviation operations.