GA groups applaud Bedford confirmation
The July 9 confirmation of FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford was widely welcomed by general aviation advocates eager to see the longtime airline executive take charge of modernizing air traffic control.
The U.S. Senate voted 53-43 to approve Bedford for the post that has seen significant turnover, and he became the fifth FAA chief executive to hold the job in the past four years. Bedford officially retired as CEO of Republic Airways, a post he had held for more than 25 years, on July 2. Bedford told senators in June that he would lead the ATC modernization effort, starting with a $12.5 billion overhaul of facilities that was announced in May, and approved by Congress and signed into law on July 4 as part of a massive federal tax-and-spending bill.
The National Business Aviation Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and Experimental Aircraft Association also praised Bedford’s confirmation. The groups also thanked Chris Rocheleau for his service as acting FAA administrator following the January resignation of Michael Whitaker.
Bedford, as an airline executive, has for years pressed the FAA to modify or grant exemptions to the “1,500-hour rule,” which was enacted in 2013 and requires pilots to log 1,500 hours to qualify for an unrestricted airline transport pilot certificate. Enacted in response to the 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, the rule remains controversial. Bedford testified before Congress in 2014, the year after the FAA implemented the new rule as required by law. He told lawmakers then that the requirement to accumulate 1,500 hours before piloting a scheduled airline flight is “arbitrary.” In his June confirmation hearing, Bedford declined to commit to keeping the 1,500-hour requirement in place, drawing the ire of Senate Democrats.
GA advocates focused on the coming ATC overhaul as they welcomed Bedford.
“His decades of industry experience and knowledge, combined with his strong leadership skills, will be called upon to strengthen the agency and oversee the modernization of U.S. aviation technology infrastructure,” said GAMA President James Viola. EAA Chairman and CEO Jack Pelton expressed similar thoughts: “There is a long list of challenges as we seek to maintain America’s aviation infrastructure and air traffic system as the finest in the world, and preserve the freedom of flight for individuals who want to be involved in any facet of aviation.“
