Timothy McCulloch
Specialty: Aviation Law
Law School/Year Graduated: University of California at Davis, 2004
Years in Practice: 20
Forgive the crude pun, but can you give us the 30,000-foot explanation of aviation law?
My [practice] is focused on the general aviation and business aviation community, which is basically all aviation that’s neither airline nor military [but includes] the people and companies that own and operate aircraft for personal and business reasons, or provide the infrastructure for those aircraft to operate. I [also] represent airports and the businesses at airports… and pilots and operators who are being looked at by the FAA.
What inspired your career jump from flight instructor to lawyer? How is a piloting background helpful in the courtroom?
When I flew, I was an aerobatic instructor teaching people to loop and roll aircraft. It was fun, but didn’t pay the bills. It was also quite dangerous. And I didn’t want to fly airliners. So, I went to law school, but was able to stay in the industry I love. And being a pilot is very helpful to my clients because I understand their business at a fundamental level.
How do laws concerning unmanned aerial vehicles and systems differ from those that regulate piloted aircraft?
Unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs are governed by a different set of regulations than piloted aircraft. A good way to look at regulations is that [they] get stricter with the more people that the pilot or operator can hurt or kill if they make a mistake. UAVs are interesting… because they can both be low-risk, in that no one gets hurt if a UAV crashes, but high-risk [if they] strike an aircraft, such as an airliner. As a result, the regulation of UAVs has been very challenging for the FAA.
What’s your favorite local haunt? Any “lawyer bars” or restaurants in Phoenix?
I really love to go to Volanti at Scottsdale Airport and watch the aircraft taking off and landing. It’s also a nice place to catch up with friends and colleagues, as many of the people involved in the Arizona business aircraft industry make Volanti a regular meeting place.
“If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d be…”
I think I would still be in the aviation industry… [probably] own and operate an aviation business such as a flight school, or a charter company.
