Bryan Bedford, the administration’s pick to be the next FAA administrator, has so far not responded to revelations that he does not have the commercial pilot certificate his company bio has listed him as having for more than two decades. Politico said Sunday that since he became CEO of Republic Airways in 1999, Bedford’s official biography has listed him as having commercial multi-engine and instrument ratings. Politico says Bedford and the airline have refused to comment on the results of its research into his credentials. He does not have a commercial rating. The publication said that the reference to the commercial rating was removed Thursday. Bedford does have multi and IFR ratings on his private certificate.
The Department of Transportation defended Bedford, who appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee last week as a prelude to his confirmation hearing before the full Senate. “Bryan never misrepresented his credential; it was an administrative error that was immediately corrected,” the DOT told Politico in a statement. The DOT also said Bedford passed the written and oral exams for a commercial ticket. Meanwhile, aviation organizations unanimously endorsed Bedford for the top FAA job and urged his speedy confirmation. That was before Politico dug into his credentials but it’s not clear if the controversy will affect those endorsements.
Compared to some of this administration’s other nominee offerings, what would otherwise have been a scandalous overlook in good old normal times, this little misrepresentation is nothing. Nothing at all. Just don’t let little white lies like this appear on your flight physical application even if someone else told them on your behalf.
Rules are for the little people.
So he either failed the practical flight exam or various other factors forced postponement of the flight portion, and his checkride endorsement elapsed.
This also sounds like very specfic information that either he or Republic provided, so why not just come out and say that, and that it was indeed “an administrative error”? It’s not the misstatement that’s the problem, it’s the covering up of the error that is.
One must remember… to qualify to as a cabinet member or administrative post holder, one must be of an AMORAL character not able to tell the truth.
Just another MAGA bootlicker ! Financial contributions to the MAN !
It would be the odd person, indeed, who never looked at his own bio while at Republic or when submitting information to a Senate Committee for confirmation to lead the agency responsible for issuing the commercial certificate. In DC an “administrative error” is what they call an intentional misrepresentation when you get caught.
" Meanwhile, aviation organizations unanimously endorsed Bedford for the top FAA job and urged his speedy confirmation."
Cheating is a must to qualify.
Attacking DEI to make it look bad was just a distraction strategy.
This cheat is the real cheap- Cheat.
Here comes the “Real Truth”…
"Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, made the opening remarks at the committee session. He cited Bedford’s credentials as an ATP-rated pilot and his experience at the helm of several airlines. Sen. Cruz said, “The FAA is sorely in need of his steady leadership. No Senate-confirmed head of the agency has completed a full five-year term since 2018. I have high expectations for transparency and intend to hold the Department of Transportation and the FAA accountable for implementing the improvements responsibly and promptly.”
As we like to say in Texas…”you are hitching your wagon to the wrong horse”. For you city slickers the FAA is the wagon and Bedford is the horse.
Did you tell that to Cancun -Rafael ?
If not, why not ?
It was “quickly” corrected after having been wrong since 1999.
Mkay.
“Meanwhile, aviation organizations unanimously endorsed Bedford for the top FAA job and urged his speedy confirmation.”
They are probably just happy that he is not another Fox 'n Friends sycophant brown-noser and might actually know how to fly a plane. Meanwhile, Ted Cruz once again displays his ignorance by promoting Bedford to ATP qualified. Good job, Ted! Right on top of things as always.
I did initially think that, but then realized that the article doesn’t make it clear exactly when his bio listed a non-existent commercial rating. It might have been wrong since he became CEO in 1999, or it might have only been wrong from when he was nominated to the FAA.
@Crispaileron ???
[quote=“Crispaileron, post:13, topic:51311, full:true, username:Crispaileron”]
ote]
Did you tell that to Cancun -Rafael ?
If not, why not ?
[/quDid you tell that to Cancun -Rafael ?
If not, why not ?
The system is not working.
I replied to a post and it is posted on random users.
Sorry Raf !!!
The system is not working.
I replied to a post and it is posted on random users.
I was going to say, “another Tim Waltz or Richard Blumenthal”, but I take that all back.
I don’t get it. Saying you have a license when you don’t is a pretty blatant and ridiculous lie. For all of us who have passed written and oral exams, we knew passing the checkride was a big deal and we weren’t done until it was.
This is like saying, “I graduated from MIT” because life has taught me all the lessons the classes would have.
Perhaps, he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express? That trumps, pardon the pun, the necessary credentials.
For Big People, fraud is an inadvertent, administrative oversight.
For Little People, fraud is jail-time.
And so it goes.
Ironic coming from an administration attacking DEI. Through my career, I saw far more incompetence and corruption due to white male privilege (e.g., nepotism, cronyism, etc.) than ever imaginable from DEI. Just another example here.
I once had a lot of respect for Bedford. As an Aviation Safety Inspector, I worked with one of the Air Carriers that Bedford headed. Today, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT FOR HIM. He reminds me of a certain aviation “expert”, whose highest Certification was “Student Pilot.”
And NOBODY looked up his credentials prior to this fiasco? Not saying much for the Board of Directors at Republic or Trump’s vetting team.
Well, not quickly corrected as Republic let it stand for years?
On the one hand, this guy has very good experience. And we certainly have good reason to fear the next candidate if he is told to withdraw.
Still… FAR 61.153c which relates to eligibility for ATP says “good moral character;”
Maybe I am among the very few who still think it matters. Say I am a dinosaur. I just have trouble swallowing that an applicant for an ATP might be turned down for some minor pecadillo and that person would have to swallow that the guy who would sign his certificate is no better.
Really?
AvWeb software is indeed variable, I’ve seen that phenomenon several times.