William Johnson (Dr. Bill) is leaving the FAA Chief Human Factors Scientist position, effective January 1, 2021. He has been an aviator for more than 55 years, earning his Private Pilot Certificate in 1966. In 2020, he was awarded the FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic accolade, for 50 years of outstanding contributions to aviation maintenance as a certified mechanic. In 2019, he received the Flight Safety Foundation FSF-Airbus Human Factors in Aviation Safety Award, for lifetime achievement. He is also a recipient of the Sir Francis Whittle Award from the International Federation of Airworthiness and The Aviation Week MRO Europe Safety Award.
Dr. Johnson has been a steady contributor to AMT Magazine for nearly 10 years. In that time period, he has written about maintenance issues related to human factors, technical training, safety management, international maintenance trends and more. AMT readers came to expect a straightforward and understandable explanation of even the most complex human performance matters. After Johnson describes something it is no longer complicated. That is how he communicates. That clarity has impacted maintenance safety worldwide.
Maintenance/Engineering, Human Factors, Training, and Research define Dr. Johnson’s contributions to aviation safety since he earned his Ph.D. (University of Illinois, ’80). Through hundreds of technical reports, magazine articles, classes, movies and speeches, Johnson has shown the value of applied research to empower airlines and maintenance organizations throughout the world.
Dr. Bill has diverse experience as a college professor, engineering consultant, MRO training executive, FAA executive scientist and public speaker. Johnson will apply that knowledge, experience and positive attitude to his newly formed consultancy, aptly named “drbillj.com.” After the first of January 2021, contact Bill at [email protected].
