Profile
Clifford Sweatte is a regulatory affairs executive and program leader in the advanced aviation industry. He brings technical and management expertise to drive the development, launch, and expansion of advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).
Cliff is currently a Senior Policy Advisor at Akin Gump. He leads the development of policies and strategic programs for advanced aviation systems to comply with FAA regulations domestically and ICAO standards internationally. He has informed the strategies of Fortune 100 aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to expand their advanced aviation operations by developing policy and project frameworks that cover all facets of the AAM market, from aircraft design selection to type and operational certification.
His impact and leadership earned him repeated recognition, including the NASA Group Achievement Award, FAA Headquarters Visionary Award, and FAA Barrier Breaker Award. He was a FAA UAS Aviation Safety Inspector and program manager for the Arctic and Pathfinder commercial BVLOS projects and former international airline captain. Cliff was a part of the World Food Program in 2019 for which they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. Outside of work, he is a remote pilot who served as a rescue swimmer and is a yoga instructor.
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