DENVER – Craig Fuller, former President and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), has joined the board of directors of Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. (AEAC).
Fuller, Chairman of the Fuller Company, began the Washington, D.C., portion of his career with the Reagan Administration in 1981, where he served for eight years in the White House, first as Assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, then as Chief of Staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush.
He co-chaired the President Bush Transition, then entered the private sector in the nation’s capital, leading public affairs consulting firms and associations, and serving as the officer of a major consumer packaged goods company.
After serving as president and CEO of AOPA, Fuller remained in the Washington, D.C., area to lead The Fuller Company, a consulting group. He remains active in aviation policy matters and was recently appointed to the FAA’s Management Advisory Council.
In addition, he serves as a director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he is a member of the Executive Committee, and is Chairman of Redbird Flight Simulations.
“All agree that making aviation accessible to more people requires lower training costs,” Fuller said. “The exciting and innovative work by AEAC that is bringing to the aviation market the solar-electric Sun Flyer makes this possible. I am extremely pleased to join with others in this fine organization to advance such an all-important effort.”
George Bye, CEO of AEAC, said Fuller’s background in aviation policy is of particular importance to the program.
“We have embarked on a remarkable effort to bring a solar-electric training airplane called Sun Flyer to market,” he said. “Craig’s expertise in advocacy is key in helping us transform general aviation.”
AEAC is developing Sun Flyer, the first 2-seat practical solar-electric airplane serving the training, recreational and general aviation markets. The company has begun a test flight program for its single-seat prototype that was announced earlier this year.