If you’re running low on outrage and haven’t enjoyed any angertainment say, since about two hours ago, click on this link. It’s an excruciating seven minutes of FAA admin nominee Phil Washington being grilled by the Senate Commerce Committee as part of his confirmation process. It’s also partisan sniping at its typical worst.
The conclusion is appropriate.
This handing out important jobs to political “appointees” has gotten out-of-hand. We need people that at least have have shown some real world desire in the field that they would now control. With no personal desire for aviation nor any personal understanding, their default nature is both political and beholding.
Political appointees have been part of the US government since George Washington’s time. While early appointments may have been through merit and qualifications, political loyalty, rather than efficiency, has gradually become more important. I agree that this practice needs to change.
I agree.
The problem with political appointees extends far beyond the FAA Administrator, it’s just that we are most affected by that one. Raf is correct that the system has been around since the beginning, but like everything else in government, it has gotten too large and unwieldy. A new administration has literally hundreds of department positions to fill and precious little time to do so. Donald Trump’s approach to the problem was actually quite clever - he just made his selections “acting” administrators, thus avoiding the Congressional quagmire for getting his people approved. Plus, he could fire them at will with no backlash from the opposition. To me, the main problem, other than the current political cat-fighting, is that positions like the FAA Administrator required good knowledge of one of the most complex operations on earth - something that most Presidents lack. That, pus the fact that there is no “ideal” candidate, makes the selection very difficult. I agree with you, Paul, that Billy Nolen is probably the best person for the job at this time. His biggest problem is that he has supposedly been in charge during the recent spate of runway incursions, national system holds and the holiday horror shot last Christmas. Not exactly the resume highlights one would want.
“His biggest problem is that he has supposedly been in charge during the recent spate of runway incursions, national system holds and the holiday horror shot last Christmas.”
To be fair, that might not mean a whole lot if the underlings act as though their “acting” administrator isn’t permanent so who cares what they say.
Washington seemed like he was going to be a difficult one to get confirmed from the beginning. It seems at least plausible that he was used as a decoy to give the opposing party a win in blocking his confirmation to then nominate Nolen (who appears to be a candidate who can get confirmed).
I can simplify ALL of this nonsensical superfluous diatribe. If YOU – any one of us here – owned a Company and needed a CEO to run, say, a plumbing operation, would you hire a person who didn’t know a nipple from a coupling from a drain valve? Be honest! Let’s say some PhD in Leadership showed up and had a half decent resume of running the Olympics – kinda like Michael Huerta – would THAT qualify him to run your plumbing operation? See the problem here. Usually, running ANY sort of operation requires – as a minimum – a modicum of knowledge of what the hell is going on FIRST. Only then does other people and management skills enter the decision making.
Washington is NOT qualified … PERIOD !! Nolen at least knows where the hot air comes ouot of a jet engine. Hire him! I spoke directl to him at Airventure 2022 … he seemed prepared to answer relevant questions unlike Washington.
Hi all,
Typing this at FL300 halfway across the USA
Enroute to sfo 10:20 pm
AA
All good comments
Keeping it civil
Paul is right
Let’s just get on with it
Make Mr Billy Nolen the perm FAA
Administrator
I hope to see him again at eaa 2023.
As the usaf taught me in 1980
Lead
Or get out of the way
That’s all well and good, except 1) many company CEOs DON’T know anything about the industry that their company is in, so it’s not like it’s an uncommon practice (not that this is a good thing), and 2) the FAA is more like a plumbing + electrical + carpentry operation, so no one of them is any more suited than the other at running it (though any one of them would be more suited than, say, a gardener).
True. Any “boss” with the term acting in front of their title is regarded as a place holder until the real boss is selected. Within the FAA bureaucracy, it is hard enough to effect change by any boss since the rank and file “lifers” consider any administrator as temporary until the next election when another new guy will take his place.
If the FAA’s troubles run deep and in a bind,
Nolen’s the guy who can unwind.
With an airline background and safety finesse,
He’ll find the problems and clean up the mess.
Phil Washington may try, but Nolen’s the pro,
He’ll decipher the data and make it all flow.
He’s been on the job for almost a year,
And with his skills, there’s no need to fear.
Larry S. says, it’s a no-brainer, it’s easy to see
Confirm Nolen and let it be.
Very Nice, Raf! Love it
Damnnnnnnn … superb, Raf 
YOU’re a poet and we here didn’t know it.
I may be feeble, but my rhymes are strong
As a chanted lyricist, I’ll speak out all day long
My themes are political, my words are true
I aim to promote the qualified few
Age may have slowed me, but my mind is sharp
I’ll challenge the status quo, tear it apart
My rhymes may be old school, but my message is new
Qualified leaders, it’s time for them to breakthrough
Where Larry go???
It’s later here so I got horizontal for a bit. A storm woke me up.
Came back to see if there was any more. You didn’t disappoint.
Saaaaayyyy … can a CFI cum poet become Administrator?
Others here seem to think that you don’t have to know anything to do the job so … are you running for the position? One more jingle oughta get you the position …
I heard an FAA employee play the bagpipes at the MCO FSDO last week; you’d be a great entertainer at the ‘Meet the Boss’ forums at Airventure. You could bring the bagpiper while you recite.
One of the problems here is that we are applying checkers reasoning to a chess game. But in DC, they play five-dimensional chess and we’re at the Pawn-to-K4 step in the process. Washington was at best a patronage stalking-horse, and Nolen would likely do a pretty good job once he was no longer hobbled by the “acting” part and fully confirmed. But given the looming budget negotiations, everything is both up in the air and on the chopping block.
100% agreed. Biden sure can pick them can he?