The FAA has replaced Earl Lawrence as the head of aircraft certification with Lirio Liu, who now runs the agency’s international affairs office. Lawrence has run aircraft certification for three years. Liu is an aerospace engineer and has been with the FAA since 1991. Much of that experience has been in aircraft certification and safety roles. She also headed up the Office of Rulemaking for aviation safety for seven years. She assumed her present duties in October of 2020 and will take over from Lawrence on May 8. He’s being given another role at the FAA, reportedly as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the NextGen program. The FAA has not officially announced either change.
Lawrence went to the FAA in 2010 as manager of the Small Airplane Directorate. Prior to that he had been EAA’s VP of Industry and Regulatory Affairs. He worked his way up through the FAA executive branch, taking over as Director UAS Integration Branch from 2015 until 2018 when he took over aircraft certification.
Sound of shoe dropping…
It only took a couple of words from Larry S and WHAM…goodbye Earl!
I am a FORMIDABLE foe, Raf (SAC trained, don’t ya know)
In my hands, a laptop is a weapon 🙂 🙂 🙂
So what happened to Earl, Russ ???
Boeing 737 MAX Tsunami?
FAA leadership disputes watchdog’s finding that 737 Max inspectors were underqualified, denies misleading Congress
By Ian Duncan
September 25, 2019
“”Deputy FAA Administrator Daniel K. Elwell (with Earl by his side) also rejected the watchdog’s finding that his agency had misled Congress over the issue, saying that was “not what happened.”” WP
washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/faa-leadership-disputes-watchdogs-finding-that-737-max-inspectors-were-underqualified-denies-misleading-congress/2019/09/25/7005e3ae-dfa5-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html
Ms. Lirio Liu
>Experience
Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
30 years 11 months
>Executive Director, Office of International Affairs
Oct 2020 – Present1 year 7 months Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Responsible for the development of international policy and provides guidance across the various disciplines of the FAA and is also responsible for the FAA’s international offices in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
>Executive Director, Office of Operational Safety, Commercial Space Transportation
Jan 2020 – Oct 202010 months Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Responsible for ensuring the protection of the public, property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch or reentry activities, and to encourage, facilitate, and promote U.S. commercial space transportation. Responsibilities include executive oversite of the operational requirements leading to the authorization for commercial launch operations. Directly oversaw the activities related to safety analysis and assurance, coordination of…
>Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, Aviation Safety
Jun 2019 – Jan 20208 months Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Provided executive leadership to an organization of over 7,000 employees who are responsible for setting safety standards and overseeing all parts of the aviation industry — airlines, manufacturers, repair stations, pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, and any person or product that operates in aviation. As the Deputy, supported the return to service activities for the Boeing 737 MAX, including detailed briefings with FAA leadership and stakeholders; participated as…
>Executive Director, Office of Rulemaking, Aviation Safety
Apr 2012 – Jan 20207 years 10 months Washington D.C. Metro Area
Responsible for the Rulemaking Program for the Federal Aviation Administration. Designated Federal Officer for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) and primary liaison for interagency coordination with Office of the Secretary of Transporation and Office of Managent and Budget on rulemaking matters. Successfully implemented the Executive Orders on Regulatory Reform with a positive cost saving to the DOT of $64Mil in the first year of implementation.
>Deputy Regional Administrator
Oct 2009 – Apr 20122 years 7 months Hawthorne, California
Technical Special Assistant to the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety
Dec 2008 – Oct 200911 months Washington D.C. Metro Area
>Technical Special Assistant to the Director, Aircraft Certification Service
Aug 2008 – Dec 20085 months Washington D.C. Metro Area
Senior Representative
Apr 2004 – Aug 20084 years 5 months Paris Area, France
>Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office
Nov 2000 – Apr 20043 years 6 months Greater Seattle Area
>Manager, Standarization Branch, Transport Standards Staff
Oct 1998 – Oct 20002 years 1 month Renton, Washington, United States
>Program Manager, International Branch, Transport Standards Staff
Sep 1997 – Oct 19981 year 2 months Renton, Washington, United States
Aerospace Engineer, Airframe Branch, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office
Jun 1991 – Sep 19976 years 4 months
>Education
Universtity of Texas Arlington Graphic
Universtity of Texas Arlington
Bachelor’s degreeAerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
1988 – 1991
California State University, Long BeachCalifornia State University, Long Beach Graphic
California State University, Long Beach
Graduate Coursework towards Master’s DegreeAerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington Graphic
University of Washington
Graduate Coursework towards Master’s Degree Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Languages
English
Native or bilingual proficiency
French
Native or bilingual proficiency
Chinese
Elementary proficiency
Organizations
Sigma Gamma Tau – National Honor Society in Aerospace Engineering
Tau Beta Pi – National Engineering Honor Society
Now, THAT’S a resume.
I hope that’s the aroma of pudding that I smell…
YARS: Do you mean, friendly fumes?
Raf, at first I thought geez, the poor guy is unfortunately, confused, sadly losing the battle…
but then I thought it likely just an obscure YARS-ism from his extensive private collection, actually meant for his cook.
I’m going with your interpretation tho and adding, better progress now on alternative fuels with cooking oil? 😬
Yes, there is a message. 🤔
“The proof is in the pudding.”
Raf AND Dave:
And the Zero reference is to the theme song from The Producers:
“Springtime for Hitler.”
Wow, I bonked that one, YARS. So simple, so elusive.
Obviously MY battle to lose now, trying to find your Zero reference. 😕
Best of luck to Ms. Liu.
Eureka, Found it! 😉
Now I’d like to resume my morning flat-line brain activity, if you please.
Sorry all for the run-on posts…
I’m afraid “Responsibilities include executive oversite” does not reflect well on her attention to detail. Hell, even AvWeb’s spellchecker flagged it.
When you’re right you’re rite.
Looks like she has assisted her entire career.
I worked for the FAA… there is a message here.
I suspect that this change will NOT be good for GA.
Wow, that didn’t take long. Bertorelli names names — Let the a$$kicking commence! LOL
Lirio Liu’s first test? Will she approve the G100UL Fuel amended AML list?
I surely do hope that’s pudding I smell…
I work on the other end of certification, under Organization Designation Authorization. I hope that doesn’t go away, and further mire the cert process. But, hey, I’ll be retiring soon.
Just another bureaucrat moving to another bureaucratic position. Nothing ever changes!
Looks like they are using the same criteria as they used to pick the latest supreme court justice.
Wow. That’s an incredibly racist and insensitive thing to say. Did you read the resume? She could run the FAA with that experience.
Dale if you insist on defiling yourself please do it elsewhere.
Fellas, I have to agree with this guy. Both minority women are over-educated, over-experienced and over-qualified for merely government work. Something does seem out-of-balance with the qualifications process.
Ian, Dave, I agree with your opinion.
Of course, this will restart the clock on the GAMI fuel. The vegetable oil thing may actually be a thing. Is the FAA afraid some nutter will blame them for not taking this opportunity to insist our fleet run on pixie dust and cancel them all for approving a lead free fuel?
Recently I saw a seminar showing the parts of the world where wind and solar energy were most likely carbon positive versus natural gas. It’s most of Europe, lol. I’ve become convinced the quickest way to reduce carbon output is to start repealing laws. We should test every law passed since 1900 for carbon production. Most of them have Marxist roots and are simply creating inefficiencies.
“Would you like fries with that?”
How many MILLION little paper envelopes of French fries need to be cooked, to provide enough soiled oil to fly ONE B-777 from LA to London? Who is going to collect this golden grease, and how?
Do these advocates have ANY idea how stupid they appear to be? Really.
It’s “UN-sustainable.”
Practicality has nothing to do with it. It’s about politics and theater. We are a tiny minority that make big news. (Everyone here knows my thoughts on why we are such a tiny minority so I’ll leave out that usual rant). So, it costs the rage machine types nothing to attack us while they get lots of attention from fighting to make us green. They don’t want to attack mom’s three row SUV because mom’s are legion and fight back.
Isn’t this the world of the modern bureaucrat? No one cares whether we all get grounded really. They just don’t.
I’m just trying to come up with reasons they keep saying “No”, so that something can be done about it. Seems a thing needing doing. Who here trusts them to tell us the truth?
Good point on a “carbon test,” Eric. Since the Administration is now threatening (or maybe directing) to have every entity self-assess their carbon footprint, let it all begin WITH the Government! What’s good for the goose is also good for the gander … no ?? And while we’re at it, lets demand that the White House and Congress power up their buildings with solar and wind energy with a pixie dust backup to get themselves off the grid, too.
Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the White House roof in 1979.
Ronald Reagan removed them.
Barack Obama put the solar panels back on the White House roof in 2010.
George W. Bush installed solar panels on a maintenance structure in 2003.
Trump tried but failed to have all panels removed.
There are also multiple plans in the works for the White House to become water neutral, meaning no water on the property is wasted, and also plans exist for banning bottled water to lower plastic use, to install a compost system to lower landfill waste and fertilize the landscaping, and ceiling fans that would circulate cooler air, making temperatures less reliant on HVAC.
With its constant traffic and security concerns, and the residence having six stories with 147 windows, 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases and three elevators, and needing the co-operation of dozens of federal agency’s to sign off on the extended project…the ‘pixie dust’ mockery looks completely out-of-touch with reality.
Thanks for the additional clarification on where Earl went, Russ. “Assistant Deputy” … So the Deputy Administrator of NextGen him/herself has an ‘assistant?’ No doubt at SES pay rates? Can he do that working from home in his basement? Just yesterday, a friend who’s husband is an FAA Ops inspector type told me that her husband had to go into the FSDO office for the first time in TWO YEARS !!! Up north, I have a neighbor who is a DOT Highway Safety Inspector; he is working from home, too. Helluva deal if you can wiggle into it. I wonder who’s paying for all this … “OH!” Never mind … And while we’re at it … I thought NextGen was now codified as of 1 Jan 2020? Are they gonna spring more regulations on us now ?? The Peter Principal is apparently still hard at work, I see.