The Air Current is reporting that FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford is sweeping aside all the normal red tape involved with acquisitions to speed up the rebuilding of the air traffic control system. The publication said its staff have seen an Aug. 28 memo from Bedford that said that no FAA policies or orders will be allowed to get in the way of obtaining the gear and facilities needed to get the job done. He reportedly said the order applies “without limitation” to any and all FAA rules.
The order effectively neuters the FAA’s Acquisition Management System, which exists to ensure the FAA gets value for its money and that it’s spent responsibly. “The objectives of the policy are to increase the quality, reduce the time, manage the risk, and minimize the cost of delivering safe and secure services to the aviation community and flying public,” the policy says. Bedford, the former CEO of Republic Airways, has been a vocal critic of the slow pace of progress at the FAA.
“no FAA policies or orders will be allowed to get in the way of obtaining the gear and facilities needed to get the job done.”
That almost sounds like a threat. “Approve the vendors I have selected or see the door”?
That’s what I’m thinking. Could the Musketeer be involved in selection, or recommendations?
Sounds like a great way to get a lot done quickly… or to pay way too much to some favored contractors without any scrutiny. C’mon Mr. Bedford, show us that not everyone in this Administration is a crook.
Well now, how could that not go wrong?
It certainly opens the door for a wealth of graft and outright cheating of the FAA accounts (re: Gary B). It also means that no vetting or analysis of how equipment will integrate into an older system. I’m a software developer by career and any attempt to clam “new stuff” as a replacement of “old stuff” without a complete understanding of how it all ties together….well it ain’t pretty and do we really want to risk aviation safety.
Think about this line for a moment ” He reportedly said the order applies “without limitation” to any and all FAA rules.”
So, there are no rules? Who needs regulations? get the job done! How well did that work for Boeing?
I just solved the pilot shortage issue. Since there are no rules to fixing the aviation lets just ignore the 1500 hour rule. Boom! (opps, poor choice of word there). these damn tests, they hold back fulling the ranks. Now, f**k DEI, any one who wants to fly can apply and let the airlines sort it out,
I mean, lets go all in. All that red tape on aircraft parts and takes forever, drop them and let pilots do what they want…hell it’s their airplane…AmIRight?
I can agree that there may be regulations that create drag and I really wish Congress and the FAA spent continuous time reviewing them to see which are knee jerk (1500 hours, 65 years) and which are not (manufacturing safety, ATC safety and work improvement).
I believe in Government. I don’t trust this administration any more then I trust a rotted out corpse of an airplane sitting in a field for 20 years to fly.
‘I consider the United States of America to be a “giant department store,” with me as the manager. “I own the store, and I set the prices, and I’ll say, ‘If you want to shop here, this is what you have to pay,’” our Dear Leader told Time magazine in April.
FAA, NTSB, DOE, EPA, NIH… no doubt merely playing cards in the deck of grift, payback, revenge and profit to be used as pawns by the new governmental Gendarmerie, based on the P2025 bible.
This has noting to do with rebuilding our ATC system. With a window of only 3+ years remaining, it needs to be speeded up to repay big business donors with lucrative government contracts, so out with stupid FAA policies, long-term implemention speculation and good business practices.
Keep tuned in for privatization also, (only after the taxpayer rebuilding, of course) that’s clearly spelled out in their bible.
With you on this, Dave. Red tape aside, “No FAA policies or orders… without limitation” isn’t reform, it’s clearance rack government. Merchandising!
Every procurement rule was added with the best intention and/or to fix someone cheating the system or diving through loopholes.
As a result, it is now way too complicated and results in $300 toilet seats.
We have seen this before no matter who is in charge. Cutting red tape sounds good, but with the FAA it often means cutting out the safeguards. ERAM went past $2.1 billion, STARS grew to almost $3 billion, and NextGen burned through tens of billions while the same outfits kept cashing checks. On paper it looked like progress, but in real life it was merchandizing and the public picked up the tab.