Important context:
- January 20: FAA director fired
- January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
- January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
- January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
- January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
This is an overreach that minimizes the people who are actually impacted by Trump’s actions.
This was the heli pilot’s error, plain and simple. Tower was following protocol and did not grant clearance because they were short on staff or something ridiculous like that.
Individual human failures are often a symptom of broader and larger systemic problems. Pointing out these systemic problems is not over reach.
They were short on staff because of Trump.
This specific tower was not short on staff, and again, ATC doesn’t just start issuing faulty clearances when they’re short staffed.
Use your brain.