No, that’s not the case at all. The controller workforce is understaffed because of the Agency’s insistence upon using a finance-based hiring model for over a decade. FAA Finance carried the mentality that it was cheaper to assign OT than it was to hire and train new controllers. That and their hiring goals were wildly inadequate. Thankfully, those days are long gone due to a key provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. I know this because I lobbied for its passage, and I can assure you that everything JD Vance mentioned in that video you posted is 100% BS. As is any suggestion that this terrible strategy had anything to do with DEI.
If the controller is incompetent and is Black, brown, or a woman - it’s a disaster caused by DEI hire. If the controller is incompetent and is NOT Black, brown, or a woman - somehow it’s not as big a deal? That’s racist. The correct, non-racist view: If someone is incompetent, they shouldn’t have a critical safety job - period. If that happens, the real issue is whether hiring standards were lowered, not whether the person isn’t white and male. The wrong assumption here is that a “DEI hire” automatically means an incompetent person. That’s just nonsense pushed by idiots, and gullible people eat it up. Hiring standards aren’t lowered just because someone is Black, brown, or a woman. If you want a real example of low standards, look at Pete Hegseth. Because he’s white and male, who cares, right? But if he were a person of color or a woman, people would be outraged about “lowering standards.”
From the mouths of some, all disasters are the fault of DEI now. Baltimore bridge: DEI Parts falling off of Boeing jets: DEI North Carolina hurricane response: DEI LA Fires: DEI DC aircraft tragedy: DEI If the Cascadia subduction zone ruptures tomorrow it will be blamed on the Hispanic PhD working the night shift at the USGS Tsunami Warning Center. DEI is the go-to cause that both eliminates official responsibility and blames others. It's also nonsense and it would help us all if some of y'all weren't so gullible and/or quit being intentional about your gleeful disregard for the people involved in disasters and the complexities that lead to those disasters. Lots of good work we could be doing if everyone was working in good faith. But alas, our lot is to swim in mis- and dis-info.
If Reagan Airport is in VA, why is DC emergency services the lead agencies? Is the Potomac considered DC?
Im reading multiple comments on Capt Lobach, noting she was a great person. Allegedly she was a Biden Whitehouse social aide. This is a conundrum. The righ and left will agree she is not DEI eligible, but since she is a whitehouse aid to biden, that automatically makes her a DEI hire. While both sides mongo over the DEI issue, Im legitimately wondering how/why a whitehouse aid is flying military aircraft around the neighborhood. Genuine question.
DEI doesn't lower standards and requirements to hire white people. DEI frequently DOES lower standards and requirements in order to hire non-white people. Congratulations - you just discovered that DEI is racism. I agree wwith this. Not automatically, but when hiring standards are lowered in order to hire a non-white, the odds are greater that the new hire is incompetent or provides a lower quality of service, With DEI , hiring standards are frequently lowered in order to include people who aren't white. If this wasn't true, race would not be considered at all and hiring would be based on merit ( as it should be). I've personally seen this at the company I work for.
So it looks like the helicopter was indeed piloted by the 28 year old woman with about 450 hours of flight experience who also worked as a Biden White House aide. Her social media got scrubbed before her name was released, but some stuff still made it to x.
White House Aide is not like some intern. Lots of departments and agencies rotate folks through the White House under the aide title. Their job is to facilitate the flow of info between their agency and the Executive Office functions and/or work on logistics for presidential movements. Makes sense that a helicopter pilot would be an aide. There's also social aides who work on things like diplomatic protocols, seating arrangements for state dinners, and the like. It's not a partisan job and I doubt many WH aides ever work with a president directly. At most they would respond to requests from political staff or advise them on the arcana of protocol or travel.
The plane’s flight recorder also indicated the pilots made an evasive maneuver, ie the plane was pitched up, and pilots apparently said something, although the report doesn’t say what.
News flash, I've found a mediocre 55 year old white man - with no evidence whatsoever - blaming minorities for a white guy crashing his helicopter into somebody's plane.
