...And Here, Darn it, Are The Heartbreakers

Final Compilations/Analysis by ANN Editor-In-Chief/Corporate Insomniac, Jim Campbell

It is both the most "fun," and most difficult task, facing the ANN staff at the end of every year -- determining who, or what, did the most to promote the cause of aviation in the past 365 days... while also chastising those people or entities that did all they could to undermine the many successes the aerospace community has managed to accomplish.
 
Alas, 2009 saw more than its fair share of downers, aviation-wise. Sure, "stuff" happens... but a few folks, issues, or entities seemed to go out of their way to create problems for the world of aviation.

So... it is ANN's annual obligation to recognize Ten of our Aero-Heartbreakers for 2009... in something of an informal order, starting from the 10th to the 1st.

Let us know what you think of our selections... whom YOU would have liked be included, or omitted, from such a list. In the meantime, we hope those who had something to do with this year's selections think a little more positively about the welfare of this industry, so that future lists become harder and harder to catalog.

Be it ignorance, arrogance or just plain incompetence, these were the folks or topics that made our lot a whole lot more difficult and immeasurably injured the aviation world in the past year.

Shame on those issues, folks, or groups that made our lot so much tougher in 2009...

Aero-Heartbreaker #5: The Not So Kinder/Gentler FAA

You may have seen this one on a few T-Shirts or bumper stickers... "We're The FAA -- We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy." What was a bit of gallows humor is rapidly becoming the law of the land. Over the years, the FAA has wavered between playing a sleeping giant that didn't mess with us all that much, to walking, talking nightmare. According to escalating reports from the last year or so, the nightmare days seem to be back with a vengeance.

Enforcement actions are growing increasingly aggressive. Ramp Surveillance seems to be more and more bizarre and often connected to personal issues or vendettas with local FAA offices. And the fact that the FAA has pretty much rolled over and played dead whenever other governmental agencies start telling them what to do (TSA, Secret Service, ignorant members of Congress who wouldn't known an aileron from their ass, etc.) is just plain wrong. Let's face it, the FAA is not nearly as well educated on all things aviation as they used to be (witness the fed who walked into a recover shop not too long ago, pointed to the wire fuel/float visual gauge on the cowling of a Piper Cub and asked... "What's that?"). Yeesh.

At a time when aviation seems to be under attack from all corners, the FAA can and should have a vital role to play in insuring that this industry is safe, secure and a true representative of the American ideal. Despite the fact that Congress stripped them of their mandate to promote aviation, there is so much that they could be doing that would be fair to all and that would improve aviation's lot dramatically... and, damn it, we demand that they do so. We have new leadership at the helm of the FAA... a guy who knows how screwed up the FAA can be and how difficult it can be to work with them when they're not working in the best interests of all.

We call for Administrator Babbitt to do the uncommon and righteous thing -- to seek industry advice and consensus to restore the FAA to a position of trust, to enact the Pilot's Bill of Rights, to resist ridiculous intrusions on aviation safety and freedoms by security goons who only see "restrictions" as the answer to every issue they face, and remake the FAA into a valued industry partner... one that can be trusted, one that is fair, and one that helps the industry grow and prosper... safely and responsibly. I think Babbitt can do that... and based on his history in other leadership positions as well as the roles he has played in aviation in the past, he has to have some desire to do so... I hope that he decides to do so and that he gets the support he needs to accomplish what could be some very positive changes for the aviation world. Can you imagine an FAA that we can trust and work with... one that tries to find solutions rather than make problems? The mind boggles...

FMI: Comments/Criticism????