Question? Did Air traffic controllers get the resign/offer letters that went out 2 days ago to federal workers? or get fired under DEI?

Just asking after the air plane crash in Boston. Why do the journalists not ask these questions??? Was the FAA Director asked to resign last week under the Federal cuts? Was the security advisor David Pecosce fired?

TIME MAGAZINE

"The Trump Administration is facing its first major test after a passenger jet and Army helicopter collided mid-air in the Washington, D.C. area on Wednesday night, in what officials are calling the most fatal aviation disaster on U.S. soil in more than two decades.

The collision quickly raised concerns about the state of air traffic control and oversight and sparked questions about recent leadership changes within the federal agencies charged with regulating air travel.

Just days before the crash, President Donald Trump enacted a sweeping shake-up of the federal agencies responsible for aviation oversight, removing the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), David Pekoske, and eliminating all the members of a key aviation security advisory group. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the nation’s airspace, was also without permanent leadership at the time of the crash, as its top official, Michael Whitaker, stepped down ahead of the new administration’s transition after clashing with Trump ally Elon Musk. Whitaker became the agency’s administrator in October 2023."

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Heartlander · 80-89, M

@hippyjoe1955 I was referring to operational and mission experience. One could learn how to take off and land a 747 in one long afternoon. Within just a couple of days even do a full trip around the traffic pattern without the flight instructor ever having to touch the yoke. That doesn’t amount to the experience needed to fly that 747 from JFK to London. We kind of got a glimpse at the experience thing a few years ago when John Kennedy Jr crashed, killing himself and others.

This is not about blaming someone with little experience but about the system design to accommodate all experience levels. Counting on a VFR aircraft to stay clear of approaching and landing airplanes isn’t enough, double not enough at night. Some countries prohibit night VFR. It’s never really VFR if the pilot can’t see the ground or horizon. Never really VFR if it.s difficult to distinguish stars from other airplanes or from lights on the ground.

I have no idea if it still exists, but I recall a “VFR on top” flight plan that allowed military aircraft to take off under IFR conditions and climb until atop the clouds, then convert to VFR flight plan with an eta to a holding fix where they would resume as an IFR flight fo descending through the clouds and landing. Maybe a need for something similar for VFR flights escaping and transitioning through heavy congested airspace.

It’s been 45 years since, but I remember the old Air Force flight manuals, operating manuals for pilots and crews, a different manual for each aircraft, called then the “Dash One”. Every page or two had bold face warnings, I think the warning word may have been in red, and followed by a strong “do not” directive. It was my understanding that every, if not most warnings got in the manual as a result of a fatality or fatalities. As tragic as this accident is, I hope we learn something that will prompt changes to make flying safer.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Heartlander Yes Americans used to have the VFR on top. We never had it in Canada although a lot of private pilots would still go VFR on top. If you as a pilot can not keep an assigned altitude after 1000 flying hours...... Given there are two pilots on that flight deck that kind of incompetence speaks of something else. When I was still a student pilot I got my fingers rapped for not reporting the right altitude in controlled airspace. Reading some additional information the helicopter was not only too high it was also off its assigned course. I also read that the helicopter was understaffed. It should have had 4 people on board not 3 as the left side of the chopper was blind to other aircraft.