Marilyn Pearson

United States of America

 

From Leadership Profile
Vertiflite September/October 2025

Marilyn Pearson

Roots of a Trailblazer
Marilyn Pearson grew up in Connecticut, the daughter of an accountant father and a schoolteacher mother. From an early age, Marilyn was an energetic and inquisitive child. Her boundless energy quickly outgrew the living room, where her cartwheels routinely knocked over lamps. Her parents wisely redirected that energy to gymnastics. From there, her drive and determination carried her to elite levels of competition, eventually training under Olympic coaches in New Haven and representing the United States at international meets.

Marilyn’s aspirations were boundless, and she drew her focus from her father as a guiding figure. Aviation was an early passion and a priority for her in college. Advice from her father that stayed with her was: “You’re going to school to be a student; you can fly when you’re an adult.” That reinforced her commitment to education while planting a seed that would later bloom into an exceptional aviation career. As a child tumbling in the grass or riding her bicycle through town, Marilyn showed early signs of the persistence and curiosity that would define her professional journey.

Marilyn’s childhood love for the outdoors, movement and new experiences found a perfect match in aviation. Flying gliders factor of flight and the challenge of mastering something so unique. From gliders to seaplanes to gyroplanes, her flight path was anything but conventional — and she liked it that way. Marilyn always gravitated toward what was new, different and a little difficult.

A Distinguished Career in Aviation
During her career in aviation spanning 40 years, Marilyn Pearson has worn many hats: corporate pilot, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector, national resource inspector, policy specialist and global regulatory leader. She holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating in single and multiengine land and seaplanes, commercial pilot ratings in rotorcraft and gliders, and a Remote Pilot Certificate with an sUAS rating. Her instructor credentials span single engine, multiengine, land and sea, glider gyroplane and instrument flight.

Marilyn is now employed by CAE, a global leader in training and simulation technologies for civil aviation, defense and security, providing integrated solutions to enhance safety, efficiency and mission readiness. As the company’s Global Regulatory Lead in advanced air mobility (AAM), Marilyn tracks global rulemaking, augmented reality and mixed reality training, innovation and technology in the domain. Before CAE, Marilyn spent 15 years as a principal operations inspector in the FAA’s Bradley Flight Standards District Office, overseeing Part 135 and 121 operations and coordinating airshows. She later transitioned to the FAA headquarters, where she played a pivotal role in the development of uncrewed arial system (UAS) regulations. Among her groundbreaking contributions were the first FAA waivers for beyond-visual-lineof-sight (BVLOS), multiple UAS operations and agricultural UAS under Part 137.

She co-chaired the FAA Weather Community of Interest and led the UAS Special Weather Action Team. After retiring from the FAA, Marilyn joined CAE as the global regulatory affairs specialist for AAM, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL)and UAS. At CAE, she works with industry and global regulators to shape policies for new entrants in pilot training, aircraft certification and simulator qualification.

She also chairs SAE International’s G-35 Committee on Modeling, Simulation and Training for Emerging Aviation Technologies — a pioneering group she helped establish with support from VFS. One of the few women to lead an international standards committee, Marilyn also contributes to European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Advancing Standards Transforming Markets (ASTM) working groups focused on VTOL pilot licensing and weather systems.

Her achievements have earned her many honors, including a Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate, the FAA Administrator’s Award for Excellence in Equal Employment Opportunity and the inaugural Hall of Fame Award from Women and Drones at CES 2023.

What Drives Her
When asked why she keeps working after retirement, Marilyn is quick to answer: fun and challenge. She is energized by the promise of vertical flight and the transformation that eVTOL aircraft represents, a shift she calls “the most significant change in aviation since the jet engine.” The novel airframes, the role of automation and the pilot-machine interface all present challenges that fascinate her.

Marilyn also thrives on teaching and mentorship. From her first job instructing in seaplanes to coaching gymnastics and ski lessons, she has always loved helping others learn. At CAE, she enjoys bridging the gap between engineers and pilots, helping different disciplines understand one another’s value.

She admits that her career wasn’t always easy, especially as a woman in a male-dominated field. There were whispers and assumptions about how she got her job. “Most often, I had twice the flight time and experience,” she says. “I was qualified, and I knew I was qualified.” Rather than let setbacks define her, Marilyn leaned on the advice her mother gave her: “Disappointment always leads to something better.”

That mindset kept her going through long nights flying cargo, repeated rejections and professional slights. “Everything led to something better,” she reflects. Her nontraditional path was never a weakness — it was a blueprint for innovation and resilience.

Legacy and Mentorship
Today, Marilyn is committed to lifting up the next generation. She mentors young professionals through organizations like VFS and is a dedicated volunteer for Women Take Flight at the New England Air Museum. Through her company — UASafe, LLC — she teaches Part 107 certification courses to police and first responders.

In 2025, she took her support even further by establishing the Women of Vertical flight Empowerment Network (WOVEN) Scholarship through the Vertical Flight Foundation. Her fiveyear commitment helps aspiring female professionals pursue careers in vertical flight.

“Aviation is fun, but it’s also expensive,” she says. “If I can help even one person overcome that barrier, it’s worth it.”

Still Climbing
Though she’s already left a permanent mark on the field, Marilyn Pearson isn’t done yet. As she approaches five years with CAE, she remains deeply involved in shaping the training and certification landscape for next-generation aircraft. Her goal? To see these aircraft certified and to help train the first cadre of eVTOL aircraft pilots.

When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, she laughs and says she might scale back, but not before she sees this new era of aviation take flight. “I don’t know what I’d do without at least a little bit of aviation in my life.”

For Marilyn Pearson, the sky has never been the limit. It’s her deliverance.