With more than two decades of aviation safety and aircraft maintenance leadership, keynote speaker Jackie Black brings a rare combination of regulatory insight, operational perspective and executive-level experience to the A4A Nondestructive Testing Forum. His career spans frontline aviation safety oversight, field office leadership, regional technical support, aircraft maintenance policy, international programs and senior roles within FAA Flight Standards Safety Standards. This breadth of experience positions him to connect the strategic importance of nondestructive testing with the practical realities of airline maintenance, safety assurance, workforce development and evolving inspection technology.
Key Experience:
- Senior FAA leadership experience across aircraft maintenance, safety standards, international programs, and field oversight.
- Deep understanding of how inspection programs, technical standards, and regulatory policy influence continued airworthiness.
- Ability to translate complex safety and compliance issues into practical, operator-focused insights for NDT professionals.
- Perspective on the future of aviation maintenance, including workforce readiness, emerging technologies, data-informed oversight and collaboration between regulators, operators, OEMs, MROs and standards organizations.
Black’s remarks will help frame NDT not only as a technical discipline, but as a critical enabler of aviation safety, reliability, and operational confidence across the commercial airline ecosystem.