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Trump Wants His Personal Pilot as New FAA Head

Feb. 26, 2018
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3 min read
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Trump Wants His Personal Pilot as New FAA Head
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President Donald Trump has proposed some big changes to the Federal Aviation Administration, including privatizing the agency and transforming it into a nonprofit.

Now, Axios is reporting that Trump has privately proposed the pilot of his personal aircraft to be the new head of the FAA. The FAA is responsible for all civil aviation in the US, including managing air traffic control, air transit safety, commercial and recreational drone activity and even space transportation.

John Dunkin flies Trump's personal Boeing 757 and shuttled him around the country during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump now flies in Air Force One, which is captained by military pilots.

Dunkin has had a "preliminary conversation" with Trump administration officials about the role, according to The Washington Post.

An unnamed administration official told Axios the following about Dunkin:

“John Dunkin isn’t just a pilot. He’s managed airline and corporate flight departments, certified airlines from start-up under FAA regulations and oversaw the Trump presidential campaign’s air fleet, which included managing all aviation transportation for travel to 203 cities in 43 states over the course of 21 months.”

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In the past Trump has called Dunkin a "real expert" and said that he relies on him for information regarding aviation.

“My pilot, he's a smart guy, and he knows what's going on,” Trump said in a meeting last year. In that same meeting, Trump said that it "would be good to have a pilot, like a really good pilot, who knows what’s going on."

John Dunkin (left) and Jay Galpin after flying President's Donald Trump's private jet in 2014. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

Trump owns a Boeing 757, and Dunkin has served as his personal pilot since 1989. Back then, Dunkin would have flown Trump's Boeing 727 because his current 757 was built in 1991.

A Smithsonian Channel documentary that featured Dunkin said he'd been flying since he was 15 years old — longer than he's been able to drive a car. It also said that Dunkin "oversaw the management and maintenance" of all of Trump's aircraft.

The FAA is currently headed up by Dan Elwell, who serves as acting administrator. Elwell was a former FAA deputy administrator and is being considered for the job, which carriers a term of five years. He replaced FAA administrator Michael Huerta when his tenure ended in January . Missouri Representative Sam Graves is also in the running. Graves is a licensed pilot and was co-chairman of the General Aviation Caucus in the House of Representatives.

Featured image by Getty Images

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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