Frederick E. Tilton has been named the new federal air surgeon. Dr. Tilton, who has served as deputy federal air surgeon for the past six years, replaces Jon L. Jordan, who retired earlier this year.
As the federal air surgeon, Tilton oversees the Office of Aerospace Medicine’s workforce of more than 400 physicians, research scientists, nurses, program analysts, and legal instrument examiners, including the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). He also oversees more than 5,000 private physicians who administer medical exams as designated medical examiners.
His primary areas of responsibility include the medical certification of airmen, inspection of industry drug and alcohol testing programs, medical clearance of air traffic control specialists, drug and alcohol testing of FAA employees, aerospace medical and human factors research, and aerospace medical education.
Before joining the FAA in 1999, Tilton was corporate medical director for The Boeing Co. in Seattle. From 1988 to 1991, he was the regional medical director at Boeing’s Wichita facility.
During a 26-year career with the U.S. Air Force, Tilton logged 4,000 hours as a command pilot flying trainers, transports, reconnaissance aircraft and fighters. He flew a wide variety of aircraft, including the F-15, T-38, RB-57F, C-141 and the B-47. He spent 11 years in the medical corps where he commanded a clinic, was an F-15 physician-pilot and technical consultant, and held key positions such as chief of flight medicine in the Surgeon General’s office. He retired from the Air Force in 1988 with the rank of colonel.