All flights are grounded. Glad I’m not traveling.
We're all born bald baby!
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Level 1
This song came to mind and I wanted to post.
jimbasil55277 postsAin’t it foggy outside - All the planes have been grounded
Jack, he is a banker
and Jane, she is a clerk -
Level 1
It'll be interesting to see how much Elon's DOGE cuts to FAA staff impacted this event...
AI Overview
Yes, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the administration terminated nearly 400 probationary and support staff at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) starting in February 2025, which included technical and specialized support personnel. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
- Who Was Cut: While active air traffic controllers and primary Airway Transportation System Specialists (ATSS) were officially kept on, the cuts targeted around 330 to 400 probationary and support employees. This included aviation safety assistants, engineers, aeronautical information specialists, maintenance mechanics, telecommunications specialists, and technical staff responsible for updating airspace maps and supporting technical infrastructure. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Union and Congressional Response: Unions like the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) and lawmakers raised alarms, arguing that the dismissed technical and support roles were critical to system safety and added strain to an agency already facing persistent technical and staffing shortages.[1, 2, 3]
- Administration Stance: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and administration officials defended the actions, stating that core safety personnel and controllers were preserved and that the reductions focused primarily on probationary employees with under a year of tenure.
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Level 2
Note that after the DOGE cuts, there were Mass Resignations by Key Technical Staff members @ FAA...
Mass Departures of Leadership and Technical Staff
- Exodus of Career Leaders: Beyond the initial direct terminations, the FAA experienced an accelerated wave of resignations and retirements among high-ranking career officials and program managers. [1]
- Impacted Programs: Internal agency reports highlighted that the Air Traffic Organization—which oversees airspace safety—lost key vice presidents and deputy vice presidents across major technical operations, mission support, and safety training programs. Other high-level departures included the chief air traffic official, associate administrator for commercial space, and directors overseeing audit, civil rights, and finance. [1]
- Infrastructure and System Upgrades: The loss of experienced technical infrastructure specialists and program leads complicated ongoing efforts to modernize aging air traffic control hardware and communication networks.
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Level 1
Microsoft, flight grounding, ships crash in NO - all around Friday the 13th. It's spooky.
(no message)Dead-eye Pete with 20 pounds of swingin' meat. -
Level 1
I blame SMART
And the people who helped create and install it...this week.
Kind of reminds me of when Rocket Ismail played for Notre Dame
Invincibility with no vulnerability -
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Level 2
“It has nothing to do with SMART. It’s the old network.”…
In other words, it ain’t Trump’s fault. This just all of the all of a sudden happened. Bwahahaha!!
We're all born bald baby!-
Level 3
Well, actually...this could have been addressed previously if not for a strict chestfeeding regimen.
BaronVonZemo64672 postsI mean, if you're actually going to start throwing around blame.
The upgrade from this early 80's tech is a giant nightmare. A lot of people looked the other way on it through a lot of administrations.
BVZ
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Level 2
“All is well America …. we just need to deICE our aircraft … safety first!”
(no message)The American Dream belongs to all of us. — Kamala Harris
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End of conversation