The soon-to-be face of US aviation safety
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/03/01/philip-washington-faa-hearing/
Some of the questions Mr. Washington was asked:
Republicans pressed Washington to answer rapid-fire technical and procedural questions, with Sen. Ted Budd (N.C.) repeatedly directing the nominee to speed up his answers.
“Mr. Washington, can you quickly tell me what airspace requires an ADS-B transponder? Quickly, please,” Budd said.
“Thank you for the question, senator,” Washington responded. “Not sure I can answer that question right now.”
(ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, transmits information on an airplane’s location, altitude and speed, and the FAA provides a “decision tree” to help pilots determine when it’s required.)
Budd asked Washington to describe the six types of special use airspace over military bases. He asked about types of certifications required by the FAA. Washington said he did not know. The senator asked what causes an airplane to spin or stall, and Washington said he would lean on career employees and safety specialists at the FAA.
“Let’s just keep going, see if we can get lucky here,” Budd said at one point, before asking about minimum separation distances and drone regulations, finally concluding: “You know, the FAA can’t afford to be led by someone who needs on-the-job training.”