Poll: Should Bryan Bedford Be Confirmed As FAA Administrator?
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Replies: 11
Yes, confirm — with reservations. My reasoning is that the FAA is a leviathan organization run and controlled exclusively by the Division managers, Associate Administrators — and the lawyers. A “top gun” in charge really won’t make much difference how the agency functions on a daily basis.
FAA administrator is really “window dressing.”
The poll makes it look as if anyone had a say in the matter. Obviously, Trump wants him there, so he will be there. End of story.
Let he/she with no skeletons in their own closet and who lives in glass houses have a say. The rest of us … not so much. atpcficto has it right … the Administrator is a job tied to the front of a locomotive who’s course has already been determined. At least this guy knows that if you pull back on the stick, the houses get smaller vs. Michael Huerta who wasn’t smart enough to get out of his own way … but was a slick talker.
There wasn’t an option for indifferent.
This candidate is simply one of the yes-men of this very real autocratization taking place in the government - so what does it matter who the stooge is?
We’re five months in, 3 and a half years left in phase 1 of the application of Project 2025, which clearly calls for "the replacement of all merit-based federal civil service workers by people loyal to Trump and to take partisan control of key government agencies, including the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission, and to include all cabinet-level departments" - which in our case, includes the DOT.
So whatever ignoble character is propped up to run the FAA is moot to me - it’s what is controlling it that’s of lasting significance. Hopefully there are enough subordinates who can keep our NAS and flight operations functional despite these ‘top-tier’ political sycophants, but I’m not confident of even that.
So I’ll keep the popcorn poppin’ (and the dental floss handy)
You nailed it, Dave. Also, there was no option for “What I think is irrelevant.” We occupy the ground floor of this twelve-story outhouse.
The honorable and talented and eloquent ‘Sully’ Sullenberg had some poignant words on this subject in a short but concise Facebook post… worth reading by all of us…
This excerpt ran chills down my spine…
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*Let me be crystal clear: Mr. Bedford will not commit to the current 1500-hour pilot experience rule, which means that airline pilots would have far less experience, and would not be seasoned, literally, not having experienced flying in all the seasons of the year, the crosswinds of spring, the thunderstorms of summer, the frost and fog of fall and the ice and snow of winter. The first time a pilot experiences real weather should not be with paying passengers onboard, unwitting and unwilling guinea pigs.
And Bedford has indicated that he would reduce regulations and let the airlines regulate themselves more. That’s insane.
Manufacturers also?
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No, he should not be confirmed. He ‘over-stated’ his qualifications. If you can’t trust him to be honest about his background and qualifications, how can you trust anything he will do?
To add more water to the mud puddle. If the headlines, union statements, and insider chatter are any indication, the FAA workforce isn’t exactly sleeping easy these days. From buyout waves to backlash over Bedford’s nomination, the message is clear: trust is slipping, and morale’s taking a hit.
“During the last FAA town hall they mentioned 2700 people put in for DRP. No idea how many were accepted or how many were in safety critical roles.”
“If the tone from FAA insider forums is any measure, employees aren’t just concerned, hey’re deeply demoralized.”
According to this piece of content, safety critical personell is not able to benefit from DRP.
The FAA says safety roles weren’t hit, but people inside say otherwise. On Reddit, they’re talking about experienced staff leaving, people who handled technical and regulatory work. The planes are flying, but the cracks are showing. Morale is low, and trust in leadership is fading. Thanks.