FAA and industry veteran Ken Thompson has joined NATA's regulatory team as senior advisor, specialising in business aviation maintenance issues.

“Ken brings over 48 years of aviation experience to the NATA regulatory team, including nearly three decades as an FAA aviation safety inspector. His experience in key compliance and safety roles will enhance the association's aviation maintenance expertise and representation of our members,” says vice president of regulatory affairs John McGraw.

“We look forward to Ken's leadership on, and participation in, industry groups tasked with reviewing and providing feedback on laws and regulations related to certificating and overseeing all Part 145 repair stations,” adds COO Keith DeBerry.

Thompson will also serve as staff liaison for NATA's Aircraft Maintenance and Systems Technology (AMST) committee and will act as recognised observer on the Part 145 Aviation Rule making Advisory Committee (ARAC) working group.

Thompson is currently president of TAPS LLC an aviation industry consultancy that provides compliance and certification process support. He also serves as a designated airworthiness representative (maintenance) for the FAA, where he held key positions for more than 26 years.

From 2016-2020, Thompson served as the FAA senior manager in the Civil Aviation Registry with responsibility for the aircraft registry. There he provided leadership and oversight for seven departments, ensuring proper interpretation of aviation regulations and consistency for individual and corporate aviation entities as they moved through the certification process.

For seven years prior, he was responsible for development and delivery of the FAA designee training curriculum, equipping individuals and corporate representatives to conduct airworthiness certification in accordance with agency statutes, regulations and policies.

In 2006, Thompson was the FAA compliance and enforcement course manager, partnering with legal and management representatives from FAA's nine regulatory offices to build a syllabus that provided comprehensive and more advanced training for FAA's regulatory workforce. Thompson began his FAA career in 1994 as an aviation safety inspector in both manufacturing and maintenance field offices.

Thompson is a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic and has served as an aircraft mechanic/inspector (A&P/IA), quality control inspector, quality assurance manager, chief inspector, designated manufacturing inspection representative (DMIR) and senior manager in manufacturing and maintenance facilities.

He joins McGraw; managing director of industry and regulatory affairs Megan Eisenstein; and fellow senior advisors Jacqueline Rosser (air charter) and Chris Baum (security).