L

lucky

Well Known Member
From Avweb's description, this fella seems like the proverbial boogey man against general aviation. A former aviation lawyer, a former airline pilot, former Navy pilot, "Bobby has worked tirelessly to modernize our nation's air traffic control system," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "He has over three decades of real world experience in the field."

No mention of owning/operating his own plane so all his experience has been with someone else footing the bills. He just strikes me as someone who would side with the airlines over GA/corporate jet world more often than not and promote what was best for them as opposed to us. No, I don't think the current proposals on the future of airspace operations in terms of future government mandates and out of pocket impact are win win between the two groups and with the lies some of the airlines have recently tried to solicit as facts I DO hold a grudge against them and don't trust anyone who comes from their ranks and doesn't also have GA qualifications like Senator Inhofe.

Anyway, his resume just feels like the perfect storm brewing against GA. I'm afraid he'd be open to supporting GA lawsuits and not more tort reform instead - afterall once a lawyer always a lawyer and he'll have to do something once his time is over. I can see him supporting his former employer, the airlines over GA interests, supporting the military's increase desire to permanently grab airspace for themselves and allow more freedom of UAVs in our airspace and making us responsible for their avoidance by making us have to equip our planes with extra gear.

I can't see this guy fighting for GA rights at the cost of other military/commercial interests in a post 9/11 world with his background.

And I see him actually being potentially smart enough to navigate the D.C. waters well enough to do permanent damage in that position.
luck
 
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It is unlikely a typical RV builder will be selected unless he has been extremely politically active and agrees with POTUS.

The guy was also once an active CFI and like many in aviation never owned a plane.

I never owned a plane til I was 50 don't think that should disqualify me.

He'll probably be no better than the last one but probably won't be any worse.
 
Nominate Sturgell to Head FAA

I'm extremely pleased with the nomination.

In the Navy, when the Commanding Officer is no good, all a good Executive Officer can do is support the CO and do what damage control he can behind the scenes. He waits for his turn to be CO and clean up the mess. Now Sturgell will have his CO tour.

That's no guarantee that Sturgell will change the FAA from the disfunctional organization it is now, but we can say he does have the background. Naval Academy grad, Navy fighter pilot, Top Gun Instructor -- which you have to be very good to select for --, airline pilot, airlines operations. The only things he does NOT have on his resume is Cub owner, RV builder, or something GA like that. Unlike his two predecessors, he is a bonifide pilot and just as important, has accomplished REAL things. I wish him luck -- he's got a tough job ahead of him.
 
All that means is that he is a political animal...I see it all the time at the airline. The President wouldn't nominate him if he hasn't already agreed to do the administration's bidding.
 
That is How it is Supposed to Work

h2otoy said:
All that means is that he is a political animal...I see it all the time at the airline. The President wouldn't nominate him if he hasn't already agreed to do the administration's bidding.
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I have no opinion on the nominee. I just want to point out that Presidents delegate their executive powers to the bureaucracy. Would you really want a bureaucracy that was not responsive to the head of their branch of government and thus not responsive to the people who elected that person? IMHO that would be much worse as it would leave voters no recourse, ever.

It's not a perfect world and you may not like the President or just not like some of his policies but it makes no sense to be critical - if that was your intent - of his being willing to do the bidding of the President.
 
The guy is going to head an agency starting more than halfway through a lame-duck administration.

You and I will make a bigger difference in general aviation than he will over the next year and a half.

As you were.
 
5 year nomination

Not if he gets and lasts through the 5 year of his nomination. It's not a department head like DOT, it's an Agency head like the CIA. It's supposed to be apolitical and NOT subject to political turnover.
 
Only time will tell. If we have to fight for our rights, we will again fight. Never underestimate a determined group of people to change things cause thats the only way things get changed.
 
Gary Bricker

I don't have an opinion but doesn't look good.



Quotes reprinted with permission. Aviation Consumer, August 2007.



Meet the New Boss ... back to top



President Bush Will Nominate Sturgell to Head FAA

Acting FAA administrator Robert Sturgell will be nominated by President Bush to fill that position for the next five years, the White House announced on Tuesday. Sturgell, 48, formerly was a senior policy advisor at the NTSB, flew for United Airlines, and was an instructor at the Navy's Top Gun Fighter Weapons School. He has been deputy FAA administrator since 2003. He is also an attorney and has practiced aviation law at the Washington, D.C., law firm Shaw Pittman. "Bobby has worked tirelessly to modernize our nation's air traffic control system," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "He has over three decades of real world experience in the field."



Now a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves (Retired), Sturgell is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Virginia School of Law. "He shares the president's strong commitment to continuing to preserve the safest period of aviation on record," Perino said. "We will call upon Congress to swiftly confirm him." Sturgell has been acting administrator since Marion Blakey's term ended on September 13.








... Same as the Old Boss? back to top



NBAA Terse, ATA Effusive on Sturgell

The National Business Aviation Association has reacted politely, but guardedly to the appointment of Acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell to the full-time post. "Bobby Sturgell is a distinguished aviator with a strong government background, having served both at the National Transportation Safety Board, and at the highest levels of the FAA, and NBAA looks forward to working with him," said a somewhat sterile single-paragraph statement released by NBAA. By contrast, the Air Transport Association (NBAA’s arch rival in the user fee fight) was downright effusive and pointedly mentioned the airspace modernization effort (which it says should come with user fees) that Sturgell worked on under former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey.



In a three-paragraph statement issued Tuesday, ATA President Jim May lauded President Bush’s choice. "Bobby Sturgell is a highly respected leader of the aviation community.His distinguished and varied background, in both civil and military matters, uniquely equips him to serve as FAA administrator," said May. "We look forward to working with him on the wide range of issues that affect aviation, including the ongoing effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control system."
 
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ADS-B Out NPRM

Has anyone here read the NPRM that will mandate costly avionics for GA aircraft with minimal or no benefit to the GA community?

If not, do a search for ADS-B and you will see where I am in fighting this idiotic proposal.

You can't do anything about this nomination but you can help stop this NPRM.
 
lucky said:
Not if he gets and lasts through the 5 year of his nomination. It's not a department head like DOT, it's an Agency head like the CIA. It's supposed to be apolitical and NOT subject to political turnover.
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doesn't matter unless a Republican is elected president. A Republican appointee in an agency in a city where Democrats are in power? There isn't a bigger definition of impotent. Trust me on this.

It's not worth losing a minute's sleep over.
 
<<AOPA and EAA support this nomination. >>

In public, yes. Good politics. Even while working against the user fee issue, both professed love and respect for his predecessor.
 
thumbs down

This guy did not smile at all before, during, or after he was given a ride in a Mustang at OSH this year. What does that tell you about him? One guy I know described him as a pompous you-know-what.

Not to mention that he advocates user fees.

The new FAA flight surgeon, however, is a polar opposite. Very pro-GA and who's stance is to find ways for pilots to get and keep their medicals, not have them taken away. And he liked his Mustang ride!
 
Yea for us

Isn't politics a no-no discussion topic? Just saying we have bigger issues than a Bush appointee to the FAA, like WWIII. We know or trust President Bush will make a good political appointee as usual. :D

Seriously the GOP has a tendency towards privatizing government, I am told, not that it might not be a good idea may be?? I suspect privatization is on the table and that seems to mean user fees as well. As someone said this administration is a lame duck, so we shall see. May be someone should ask those Presidential wannabes their stand on user fees?

AOPA and EAA support it? Do they have a say? Did they do it for political brownie points since the nominee was inevitable, might as well make friends? Not criticizing, probably a good political move. Believe it or not people publicly pronounce support for something for pure politics when they personally don't. I know, I am shocked as well. :eek:

I'm sure there where promises made and quid pro quo implied and handshakes. I feel dirty talking politics, now I have to go and take a shower. :rolleyes:
 
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gmcjetpilot said:
May be someone should ask those Presidential wannabes their stand on user fees?
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That would require an actual honest answer. They're not that stupid.:D
(Although my Bob Principle of Poltiics is "a candidate's willingness to give an honest and direct answer is in inverse proportion to a candidate's ability to get elected.)

I remember in the last election AOPA Mag had a spread with an interview with Kerry and an interview with Bush. Frankly I don't remember what either one said but I know they were asked about it. I presume both had mushy answers that allowed them to straddle the fence.

So, like I said, I'm not too worried about this guy. It's pretty clear that the EAA and the AOPA feel they can work with the guy. I think Poberezny is a pretty pragmatic guy.

As far as WWIII, well, I don't know if anyone was listening to a certain person's news conference in Washington today but it was like it was 2002 again.
 
Oh so true

Bob Collins said:
That would require an actual honest answer. They're not that stupid.:D
(Although my Bob Principle of Politics is "a candidate's willingness to give an honest and direct answer is in inverse proportion to a candidate's ability to get elected.)
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Oh so true and you are so jaded Bob....ha-ha :D Actually I disagree, I don't think they're smart at all and probably don't have an answer, honest or contrived.
 
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