FAA Funding Cuts

[Bill Bridges]

Comments about what the effect of funding cuts to the FAA would mean.

https://simpleflying.com/faa-funding-cuts-endanger-safety-us/?newsletter_popup=

[Russell Holton]

Noticeably absent is any mention of what past budgets have been. I'm jaded as all too often "cuts" are nothing more than a reduction in growth and not an actual cut. Of course he's going to push for as much budget as he can. That's to be expected from any agency head.

[Ray Tackett]

Noticeably absent is any mention of what past budgets have been. I'm jaded as all too often "cuts" are nothing more than a reduction in growth and not an actual cut. Of course he's going to push for as much budget as he can. That's to be expected from any agency head.

Absolutely, and there's another dirty little side to it. When I was stationed stateside in the Army, one of my duties was to manage an "allocated fund", a budget item established by Congress. It was a minsiscule part of the Army's share of the defense budget, but the goal was the same. I had to spend it all by the end of the fiscal year, but not go one cent over, because that would have been illegal. Spending it all was used to justify asking for more for the next fiscal year.

Via negotiatiions with civilian suppliers, and a few thousand dollars' worth of unnecessary spending, I got the fund down to five cents the day before the fiscal year ended. I received the Army Commendation Medal with an obscure citation for that.

[Russell Holton]

Absolutely, and there's another dirty little side to it. When I was stationed stateside in the Army, one of my duties was to manage an "allocated fund", a budget item established by Congress. It was a minsiscule part of the Army's share of the defense budget, but the goal was the same. I had to spend it all by the end of the fiscal year, but not go one cent over, because that would have been illegal. Spending it all was used to justify asking for more for the next fiscal year.

Oh, with that that lead-in I thought you were in charge of the "sacrificial lamb" - the high-visibility and desirable project that was being offered as a sacrifice should the budget be cut.

[John O'Shaughnessy [FCM]]

It was a minsiscule part of the Army's share of the defense budget, but the goal was the same. I had to spend it all by the end of the fiscal year, but not go one cent over, because that would have been illegal. Spending it all was used to justify asking for more for the next fiscal year.

I've heard this type of budget management process (for the government, and other large organizations) for years. Naive little old me has always figured some political person would run for President with the plan to change the budgeting process (maybe called zero-based budgeting?) and end this process of "use it or lose it." But that has never come to pass. Guessing that there is inertia that no measly President could ever resolve.

[Russell Holton]

I've heard this type of budget management process (for the government, and other large organizations) for years. Naive little old me has always figured some political person would run for President with the plan to change the budgeting process (maybe called zero-based budgeting?) and end this process of "use it or lose it." But that has never come to pass. Guessing that there is inertia that no measly President could ever resolve.

ZBB might work, but it requires those making the budget really understand what's going on. Even then, I doubt if you'd really shake the shadow of the prior year's spending. Add to that, I don't know how you could tell if a submitted budget was really a ZBB or just last year's with a few tweaks.

I think the key is to create an incentive to spend only what's needed. They hard part is how to do it without creating bigger problems from those trying to game the system.

[Rick Durden]

I'm in school at CAE for jet training and experiencing first hand the personnel and budget shortages the FAA is facing right now. Checklists and training manuals (among other things) are out of date because the FAA simply doesn't have the personnel to process change approvals in a reasonable period of time. I know it's popular to assert that all government employees are worthless layabouts feathering their nests, but I flew freight out of Willow Run in the late '70s when the FAA ignored any form of oversight on the 135 operators for over a year. Naturally, no one did any maintenance, observed crew duty times or provided any training for their pilots. The result was predictable. When the cops aren't around, things can get ugly. Don't even let me get started on Connie Kalitta during that time.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Where are you at CAE, Rick?

[Rick Durden]

Morristown, New Jersey.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Morristown, New Jersey.

Thanks, Rick...email incoming.

[Gil Buettner]

I've heard this type of budget management process (for the government, and other large organizations) for years. Naive little old me has always figured some political person would run for President with the plan to change the budgeting process (maybe called zero-based budgeting?) and end this process of "use it or lose it." But that has never come to pass. Guessing that there is inertia that no measly President could ever resolve.

When I was stationed at Forbes AFB in Topeka, sometimes we were scheduled to fly from midnight to five AM to burn up fuel, so the base would not get less fuel in the coming fiscal year. We weren't doing any training, just boring holes in the sky. I remember one night the wind was so strong, we were able to slow down and fly backwards, watching the city lights move away from us out front. I don't remember going anywhere, just flying around for five hours.

There was a secondary reason for scheduling the flights after midnight. At two AM, the Pentagon called to see how many airplanes were "operationally ready." Any airplane in the air was considered operationally ready, even if it had one or two engines shut down.

[Terry Carraway]

ZBB might work, but it requires those making the budget really understand what's going on. Even then, I doubt if you'd really shake the shadow of the prior year's spending. Add to that, I don't know how you could tell if a submitted budget was really a ZBB or just last year's with a few tweaks.

I think the key is to create an incentive to spend only what's needed. They hard part is how to do it without creating bigger problems from those trying to game the system.

Therein lies the rub. There are those would minimize spending at the expense of actually doing the work.