incompetence

Biden's nominee for FAA chairman goes 0 for 7 in answering aviation-related questions. This of course means that the guy is going to be installed in the office because diversity is far more important than actual competence.

Headline:

Biden's FAA Nominee Can't Answer a Single Question About Aviation

Phil Washington, President Joe Biden's nominee to serve as administrator of the FAA, continues to face questions about his qualifications to serve in the role, and his testimony before Congress isn't dispelling doubts about his ability to run America's civil aviation system and keep its citizens safe when they fly.

Already, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has raised concerns about Washington's experience and resume, suggesting President Biden is "playing politics" rather than prioritizing the safety and efficiency of America's air transportation system. Washington's previous gigs have also seen accusations of wasteful spending and mismanagement of resources, as Townhall reported previously. And, while he served honorably in the military, lawmakers pointed out that Washington has no experience or qualifications related to aviation safety.

That was abundantly clear this week as Washington testified before the Senate Commerce Committee when Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) asked Biden's FAA nominee questions that an FAA administrator would need to know. Not only did Washington fail to impress senators with his answers, he had no answers. In fact, it was absolutely brutal.

First, Washington was asked a basic question about what airspace designation requires pilots to have an ADS-B transponder.

Budd: "What airspace requires an ADS-B transponder?"

Washington: "Not sure I can answer that question right now."

Ok, maybe not everyone knows this.

The second question also dealt with airspace designations created by the FAA, the agency Biden wants Washington to lead.

Budd: "What are the six types of special use airspace that...appear on FAA charts?"

Washington: "Sorry, senator, I cannot answer that question."

So, now it seems like Washington has maybe never even looked at an FAA chart? For those at home (or Washington if he sees this and needs a study guide) the six special use airspace designations are prohibited, restricted, warning, military operations, alert, and national security areas. A seventh, controlled firing areas, is not charted.

The rest of the article is just as brutal. There's video, too. And even though this incompetence is now on record, it's probably not going to matter: Washington can probably be rubber-stamped in. This is the kind of problem that kills innocent people, like hiring incompetent engineers, architects, and designers.

I asked Biden's nominee for FAA Administrator 7 basic questions about aviation policy.

He went 0 for 7.

We can't have an FAA Administrator who needs on the job training. @SenateCommerce pic.twitter.com/nzGiEUxr8w

— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) March 1, 2023

I'm not the biggest fan of Sarah Hoyt's writing, but she's been repeating the mantra, lately, that you shouldn't hire for anything but competence. I can get behind that.