Yes. To me, only the last paragraph is appropriate.
Paul, one of the highlights of my day is often the opportunity to read, and in some cases, listen to your work. I can think of no writer whom I enjoy more than you since the days of Gordon Baxter and Len Morgan at “Flying”. In the instant case, your conclusion, whether adopted or not, is right on. Thank you for your perceptions and your skill in sharing them.
You do realize Mr Nolan is black don’t you?
Yes, North Carolina freshman Ted Budd questions had nothing to do with administrating a large heavily bureaucratic, governmental and political organization. However, what the NC Congressmen did, was exactly what was necessary. He showed by action, not discussion, that Mr. Washington was not qualified for the FAA Administrator job. From a power and persuasion perspective, it was a brilliant move. Without those sounds clips, Mr. Washington would have sailed through confirmation and the more qualified candidate Mr. Nolen, would not have been considered. Such is politics these days.
There is more to the present messed up Political Appointee dilemma. The FAA estimated in a 2019 report that the AVIATION industry in the United States contributes $1.8 trillion to the economy and supports 10 million jobs. Additionally, the FAA’s budget is greater than the budgets of at least 16 states:
- Delaware ($4.5B),
- South Dakota ($4.9B),
- Montana ($5.1B),
- New Hampshire ($6.0B),
- Vermont ($6.0B),
- Idaho ($7.9B),
- Maine ($8.0B),
- Oklahoma ($8.1B),
- Alaska ($8.3B),
- Iowa ($8.9B),
- Wyoming ($8.9B),
- Nebraska ($9.7B),
- Rhode Island ($10.0B),
- West Virginia ($13.8B),
- North Dakota ($14.7B),
- and Hawaii ($15.4B).
The question we are all posing is whether having a knowledgeable FAA Administrator - an FAA Governor, if you will - with aeronautical expertise who can effectively manage the complexities of aviation would be a better option. In short, yes, it would be a better option. Given the industry’s significant economic impact and the number of jobs it supports, effective FAA management is crucial to ensuring its continued growth and success. Nolen, or someone with the same or better global experience and professional background, would be a good fit. The Political Appointee Program needs to be re-evaluated.
It might be convenient to jump on the Billy Nolen bandwagon but I would slow down a little. Since leaving AA Mr Nolen has changed jobs frequently. Two of his positions were with foreign airlines, moving from Qantas to West Jet, before taking a position with the FAA. He didn’t stay at either airline very long. There may be very good reasons why he changed jobs rather frequently but it would be something I would ask about during a job interview. The fact that Ted (angle of attack) Cruz likes him doesn’t mean he’s qualified to lead the FAA.
Right on Flyer! Partisan politics always has played a part in appointments. The politics do not need to be so vicious. Neither candidates seem to be perfect. Jimmy Carter and the Democrats increased the number of presidential appointees from 800 to 3000 if memory serves. Regan and the Republicans made all civil servants liable to lawsuits for almost any reason, exempting only judges. Who wants a job like that? Especially since civil servants are always under attack! You get the government you deserve, not the one you want, old saying but I would change it to you get the government you pay for not the one you want someone else to pay for.
Here is a list of the presidential appointees by administration since Franklin D. Roosevelt:
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945): 1,997
- Harry S. Truman (1945-1953): 1,126
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961): 2,282
- John F. Kennedy (1961-1963): 1,045
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969): 2,785
- Richard Nixon (1969-1974): 3,126
- Gerald Ford (1974-1977): 1,030
- Jimmy Carter (1977-1981): 3,268
- Ronald Reagan (1981-1989):4,384
- George H. W. Bush (1989-1993): 3,155
- Bill Clinton (1993-2001): 3,359
- George W. Bush (2001-2009): 3,022
- Barack Obama (2009-2017): 3,099
- Donald Trump (2017-2021): 4,116
- Joe Biden (2021-Present): To be determined.
Reagan and Trump appointed the most.
Typical government politics. Who would’ve guessed that they would like to install an unqualified person to oversee the FAA?
As a government employee I had the opportunity to work under an “appointee” who had no real experience in the job he was given. He was able to take an efficient and smooth running operation and throw it under the bus. He was,however, presented with awards from his superiors while the ship sank.
The administrator of the FAA may not have to be a pilot,but he should someone with an intimate understanding of how the system works and has sufficient knowledge to hire the right people for important positions,and also know enough to ask the right questions.
Liable for any reason? You must be an attorney, but I cannot guess your specialty. Perhaps corporate mergers?
Raf S., I agree with you. But I sense a number of respondents here (who like me, hold the mighty “Paul B.” in special reverence) have reservations about much of what Paul wrote before his conclusion - or maybe it’s what he did not write.
Paul and I am part of aviation in the USA. You are too. Not sure what inning it is, but this is our game! We are members of an elite group of people that combine sound judgement with training and acquired skills - most of the time. We are what makes the “System” safe. God forbid that ATC would ever make a mistake because then it would be “on us” to save the day.
I think Billy Nolen would make a good administrator - and in disagreement with Paul - I say we definitely need one and such a person could make a difference. I’ll just go with some internal leadership for now. But the politicians are going to need more time to “arrive at the gate” with their decision. Meanwhile, what are we doing ourselves right now to deal with our flying problems? Paul’s posit that we are suffering pandemic aftermath is probably correct, but how does that help solve our problems? We are the pilots that are missing our taxi instructions or not maintaining our outside situational awareness and then causing these incursions. We hesitate to question our own judgement about enroute weather during a period of increasing extreme weather events (been to California lately?). Many of my friends snickered at the idea of us pilots relying upon NOTAMs - that’s what the Dispatcher is for, right? Are you willing to start with the idea, “These mistakes are my responsibility.”?
If I or any other pilot candidate showed up for a check ride as unprepared as Mr Washington was, there would be no pilots left to regulate!
Precisely! In MY over 50 years of being a pilot and A&P, the only truly successful Administrators were those that had some sort of aviation background. Matt W – below – brings up a salient point, as well. Maybe that’s their goal?
Damn, Raf … you’re an AvWeb encyclopedia
I got a distinct impression that Mr. Washington lacked confidence in front of the inquisition. I would expect someone who was running a major US airport would have made a comment or two in defense of his lack of aeronautical knowledge.
Ted Budd, the representative from North Carolina voted not to certify the 2020 Presidential election despite over 60 attempts to find election fraud failed in various courts. So, it seems that his qualification to serve as Representative is questionable, given that the facts seemed to be of little value to Mr. Budd? Nevertheless, he won his election, thus the honor and, most importantly, the obligations of being a U.S. Representative.
How many of us could correctly answer all of the questions Budd posed to Washington? I doubt that Budd knew all the answers himself. How many of us understand what is required to appropriately lead the FAA? How many of us could, effectively, do the job of administrator? The job at the top is wholly different than say an Air Traffic controller, an A and P Mechanic or a pilot. We all probably have strong understanding of what we see as Aviation from our perch on the tree, but even that view is different for each and every one of us.
Should he be nominated, I hope Washington does well as Administrator. We should all think that because we need a healthy FAA if we want to continue enjoying our privilege of flying.
I used to prep nominees before hearings in a past administration. The best complement you could get after a hearing was the nominee complaining that they were over prepared and it was easy. Senator Budd effectively proved that Washington was not a pilot, was not well prepped and certainly didn’t know much about ADSB. That said I am also on the “nice to have” side for pilots but not required. The Senator did not prove that Washington was not a strong leader who could navigate and solve the challenges before the FAA. That’s the most critical skill and few hearings really draw that out. In the end, I have no idea what kind of leader Washington is, but it’s clear that his seniors at DOT and in the Administration are not strong.
It is clear from looking at his record he is a social climber. I don’t see anything remarkable about any of his job performances at prior positions. I think he is nominated for this position because of what he is not what he is capable of doing. That is typical of this administration and the absolute incompetence we see all through it is there for all to see.
Perceptions matter. Negative perceptions can be difficult to change once they are formed.