Trump's FAA pick acknowledges he doesn't have a ‘commercial' pilot's license
Bedford, the CEO of Republic Airways, said it is 'correct' that he doesn't have a commercial pilot's license. He said he had passed the oral and written exams needed for one but didn't complete a 'check ride' — a test of flying ability conducted by an FAA examiner — due to bad weather, according to answers to questions submitted by lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee.
'It is true I fully completed all my commercial flight training, including the FAA written exam and FAA oral exam,' he wrote in the document. 'However, due to weather, I was unable to complete my FAA check ride before switching jobs and therefore did not formally obtain my commercial flight license.'
A Democratic committee aide, granted anonymity to discuss the details of the questionnaire, said the committee received Bedford's answers on Monday. POLITICO reported last week about discrepancies related to his pilot's license credentials.
In answer to a question about why he continued to publicly claim having earned a commercial license, including in a 2019 speech he gave at Liberty University, Bedford suggested that 'context is important in this setting.'
'I was simply trying to relate to these students my appreciation for their achievements based on my own extensive flight training experience. I still fly, as a pilot, on a regular basis,' he wrote.
The Transportation Department previously confirmed that Bedford passed the oral and written part of the licensure requirements. On Wednesday, Halee Dobbins, a DOT spokesperson, said Bedford 'has a proven track record that makes him exceptionally qualified to lead the FAA' and said 'desperate smears from the fake news media are nothing more than a cheap attack and disregard the importance of ensuring a safe and reliable national air system.' Republic Airways did not respond to a request for comment.
But in addition to the 2019 speech, Bedford's biography at Republic Airways, the regional airline where he has been CEO since 1999, said until last week that he 'holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.' A search of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine shows his biography had mentioned his having a 'commercial' rating since 2010.
Bedford has appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee and is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor on his nomination. So far, the licensure issue does not appear to be a significant impediment to his confirmation.
Bedford does hold a private pilot's license, including some specialized certifications such as being able to fly planes with more than one engine and to fly in certain conditions where instruments are needed instead of visual cues.
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