From Newsgroup: rec.aviation.piloting

On 13 Feb 2022, Lefty Lundquist <lefty_lundquist@ggmail.com> posted some news:suc3nn$4ev$3@dont-email.me:

Biden is twice as bad as Jimmy Carter ever was.

Is it really too much to ask for someone being nominated to lead a major government agency to have some basic knowledge about the agency theyAd be leading?

ThatAs the story after the presidentAs pick to lead the FAA absolutely beclowned himself during a recent hearing. Phil Washington, whose
nomination is still pending, was unable to answer a single one of the
basic aviation questions asked by Sen. Ted Budd.

Just for fun, as a certified flight instructor and commercial pilot, IAm
going to go through these and see if I can do them from memory. I wonAt
get all of them right, but IAm confident IAll do better than going 0-7,
which was what Washington did.

You guys can go search and grade me when IAm done.

What airspace requires an ADSB transponder?

ADSB-out is required in Class A, B, C, and class E above 10,000ft (MSL).
There are also Mode-C veils around Class B airspace that require ADSB-out
to enter.

Now, given ADSB implementation has been the most important project the FAA
has had in the last decade, youAd think a guy who wants to lead the agency would have some basic knowledge about what it is and when itAs required. Washington appeared to be completely clueless, though.

What are the six types of special use airspace that protect this national security that appear on FAA charts?

This is one that IAd forgive Washington for if he at least knew a few or understood the basic premise of the question. The answer is restricted
areas, prohibited areas, alert areas, warning areas, and military
operating areas. Temporary flight restrictions are also SUAs, but they
arenAt on the chart as they are dynamic.

IAm missing one, but I wonAt cheat, so you can ding me a point there.

What are the operational limitations of a pilot flying under BasicMed?

Like ADSB, BasicMed was another landmark project by the FAA over the last decade and something anyone wanting to lead the FAA should have knowledge
of.

This question specifically pertains to what a pilot can do if he forgoes a medical certificate and uses BasicMed, which is basically a sign-off from
a primary care doctor. Off the top of my head, they canAt fly faster than
250 knots, they canAt carry more than 5 passengers, canAt enter class A airspace, and they canAt fly for compensation or hire.

ThereAs also a weight limit on the aircraft itself, but the exact number escapes me. So ding me again on that one.

What causes an aircraft to spin or stall?

This is a common one non-pilots would miss, so I wonAt be too hard on Washington over it.

People think stalling is about the plane getting too slow, but the correct answer is that an aircraft stalls when the wing reaches the critical angle
of attack. You can stall an aircraft at a high speed. Gaining speed in the recovery of a stall is a secondary function of lowering the angle of
attack to regain smooth overflow over the airfoil of the wing.

As for a spin, it happens when you enter a deep stall and one wing is more stalled than the other. When teaching how to avoid spins, staying
coordinated with the rudder is a big factor.

What are the three aircraft certifications the FAA requires as part of the manufacturing process?

Now, this is one that I will hold against Washington because in his answer
he tries to obfuscate by saying he supports the ocertification act.o Yet,
he doesnAt know a single certification requirement off the top of his
head. ThatAs ridiculous for someone who wants to lead the FAA.

The airworthiness certificate and the type certificate are two of the
three. The last is the production certificate, which Budd points out in
the video, but IAll admit that I didnAt know from memory. That is not one
you teach to a student but is more of an FAA thing dealing directly with manufacturers. In other words, itAs something an FAA head should know.

Can you tell me what the minimum separation distance is for landing and departing airliners during the daytime?

This isnAt something you think about in the cockpit because ATC is
assigning the altitudes and providing separation, but itAs 1,000 feet of vertical separation up to 28,999 feet. 29,000 and above, it goes to 2,000 feet. Lateral separation is three to five miles. ThatAs for IFR traffic,
which all airline traffic is. There are lesser minimums for VFR traffic.

BuddAs last question is about drones, and IAll admit without any shame
that I have no idea what the answer is. IAm a real pilot after all.

Regardless, going through that was mostly for my own amusement, but when
the guy who wants to lead the FAA not only canAt answer a single question about anything aviation related but doesnAt even seem to understand the premise of the questions, thatAs a problem is it not?

oBut Washington isnAt a pilot, so he wouldnAt know the rules and
regulations,o many on the left will say in response to my critiques.
ThatAs exactly my point. Perhaps the head of the FAA should be a pilot? At
the very least, they should have a strong background in aviation and what
it entails. What the FAA shouldnAt be is another vehicle for the Biden administration to push its obsession with diversity hiring at the expense
of safety. ThatAs all WashingtonAs nomination is. HeAs not qualified for
the job. HeAs just a political figure meant to serve a political purpose.
That Washington is also caught up in a corruption scandal only makes it
worse.

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2023/03/03/bidens-faa-nominee-absolutely- beclowns-himself-when-asked-basic-aviation-questions-n711076
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